med school reapplicant personal statement

• UCAS Guide >
• Personal Statement >

Medicine Personal Statement Examples

Writing a medicine personal statement has been a part of the lives of medical applicants for many years and is a fundamental part of the selection criteria. The way in which the UCAS personal statement is structured and written is changing for 2026 with the process shifting to a short answer format. However, for all 2025 entry students, the UCAS personal statement will remain the same. 

Table of Contents

In this article, we will explore a range of different personal statement examples with explanations of their ranking to help you in the process of writing your own medicine personal statement. 

What Makes a Good Medicine Personal Statement?

• Unique and personal 
• Reflection on experience, weakness, and strengths
• Showing realistic insight into the medical profession with a coherent narrative based on genuine experience and reflection
• Discussion of extra-curricular activities with an emphasis on the characteristics, skills, and personal traits that will serve you well in a career in medicine 

Medicine Personal Statement Example 1:

My decision to pursue a career in medicine stems from a longstanding interest in the human body and the science of healthcare. Over the years, I have engaged in various activities and studies that have prepared me for this path, and I am eager to contribute to the medical field.

My first significant exposure to healthcare was during my time volunteering at a local care home. This role involved assisting elderly residents with their daily activities and supporting the nursing staff. This experience provided me with a clear understanding of the practical aspects of patient care, particularly in managing chronic illnesses and providing support to those in need. My time at the care home taught me the value of being detail-oriented and the importance of providing consistent care to maintain the well-being of patients.

In addition to volunteering, I completed a placement at a local hospital where I had the opportunity to observe various medical professionals in action. I shadowed doctors in different departments, including general medicine and surgery, which allowed me to gain insights into the workings of a hospital. I observed doctors carrying out surgeries which ranged from a simple appendectomy to a complex bypass surgery, this was fascinating. I also enjoyed watching doctors talk with patients.  One notable experience was observing a complex surgical procedure, which highlighted the technical skills required in the medical field and the importance of maintaining composure in high-pressure situations.

Academically, I have focused on subjects that provide a strong foundation for a career in medicine. My studies in Biology and Chemistry have given me a solid understanding of the scientific principles essential to medical practice. Through coursework, I have developed strong analytical skills which would be useful in medicine. I have also participated in various group projects that required collaboration and communication which would be useful in medicine.

Outside of my formal studies and medical-related experiences, I have also been involved in extracurricular activities that have developed my leadership and organisational abilities. For example, I have been a member of the student council, where I played a role in organising events and representing my peers. 

My work experience has also included a part-time job in a pharmacy, where I gained further insight into the healthcare system from a different perspective. Working in a pharmacy involved interacting with patients and working on the till and answering patients’ questions. This experience reinforced my interest in the pharmacological aspects of medicine and the critical role that pharmacists play in patient care.

I am committed to pursuing a career in medicine because it combines my interest in science with the opportunity to make a tangible difference in people’s lives. The experiences I have gained thus far have equipped me with a strong foundation in patient care, a solid understanding of the healthcare environment, and the necessary academic background. I am eager to continue my education in medicine and look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in this rewarding profession.

What could this medicine personal statement do better?

• This statement is slightly too descriptive in nature with a focus on recounting the details of placements and is a statement of fact. This statement would be improved by making it more reflective in nature and through linking it to future clinical practice. 
• This statement does not have a strong conclusion and is too focused on the activities that were done as opposed to the skills or insight gained throughout the process
• This statement could go further to reflect on work experience and reference future aspirations and self-development which could follow this placement. It is always a fantastic idea to discuss how you would take this learning forward in your future development as a medical student and a future doctor.

What does this medicine personal statement do well?

• This statement has a strong conclusion which summarises the reflective elements of the statement. It brings together the core themes and relates them to a future clinical practice and uses this to indicate a readiness for a future career in medicine. 

Medicine Personal Statement Example 2: 

Graduate medicine applicant .

In studying a degree in politics, I have developed, flourished and remain undeterred in my desire to pursue a career in medicine. My scientific fascination with the body and its functions has remained secure throughout and I am drawn to follow the vocation that is the complex and nuanced role of a doctor. 

Shadowing a GP, I learnt about best practices and the importance of consistent process in improving the quality of modern GP consultations. Participating in a role play and ethical decision-making seminar with two junior doctors helped me realise that learning, personal development and complex ethical questions remain key components of a doctor’s life. Sitting in on practice meetings highlighted the intricacies of medicine as a business and the ultra-medical roles of doctors. Through volunteering at —— Children’s Hospital, the experience of assisting nurses, comforting parents and distracting children has taught me that small acts of kindness can improve hospital environments for parents and children simply by reassuring and understanding their difficulties. Observing the relationship between doctors and nurses also taught me about the importance of multi-disciplinary teams and strong communication in the functioning of an effective medical service. Recognising a gap in my knowledge of social services, I volunteered for a homeless outreach organisation. I worked with clients to provide services like showers, food and access to housing schemes. I also spent time with the outreach nurse. This taught me about the essential services provided and the necessity for judgement-free consulting, reinforcing to me the fundamental connection between poverty, illness and the wide variety of social circumstances surrounding homelessness. It has developed my understanding of the complex and nuanced role of a medical professional and the importance of strong coordination between medical and social services to provide the best patient care possible. 

On my gap year, I travelled the US. Whilst the experience developed my ability to manage stress, organise time and maintain relationships, I was most heavily impacted by my first-hand knowledge of the North American Opioid Crisis, driving my scientific curiosity throughout my university life and strongly influencing my dissertation. I explored the role of the over prescription of opioid medications in the North American Opioid Crisis and its political influences. During my research, I have formulated clear links between politics and medicine by breaking down complex questions into component sections, independently researching pharmaceutical knowledge and studying the importance of socio-political factors in medicine. This scientific curiosity builds on my EPQ in which I explored the possibility of using stem cells to repair damaged cardiac muscle following myocardial infarction. I have developed a wide array of life skills through my participation in team sports, music, part-time work and Camp America. At University, I am the 1st Team Football Captain, and this involves managing and maintaining the morale of my players, ensuring the health and safety of my team, and assisting with their time management. Through understanding the different needs of individuals, I have adapted my approach and techniques and developed the ability to accept my failures and learn from them. Through my music and part-time work, I have learnt to prioritise, work long hours and engage in skills workshops in order to progress. Through Camp America, I further developed my ability to support sick children, manage my positivity and to recharge my energy in a healthy and constructive way. 

I recognise the complex difficulties of the medical profession, and I do not underestimate the necessary commitment. I believe that I have been developing the skills and personal traits required in a successful doctor and I remain dedicated to working to the best of my ability throughout a medical career .

• This statement addresses the background of the applicant well and explores how the motivation for medicine remained consistent throughout the process of the first degree. As applicants pursuing Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) this is important as it allows you to build upon your additional experience from the undergraduate but also allows you to demonstrate a long term and thoughtful process of reflection that leads to a career in medicine. 
• This statement cleverly draws the link between the previous degree and a career in medicine and does not depart from the previous study but instead illustrates how this study was formative and key to their development. 
• This statement has a strong reflective element when discussing work experience and uses this in a future forward manner whereby they are demonstrating how their experience has shaped them and how they will use this in a future career in medicine

What could this medicine personal statement improve?

• This statement could have a stronger introduction with a clearer direction for the statement established in that first line

Medicine Personal Statement Example 3: Poor Personal Statement

Ever since I was young, I’ve wanted to be a doctor because it seems like a good job where you get to help people. I think medicine is really interesting, especially when people are sick and doctors make them better. My uncle is a doctor, and he says it’s a great job with lots of rewards, so I thought it would be a good idea to do the same.

I haven’t done much in terms of work experience, but I once visited a hospital when my friend broke his leg. It was amazing to see how the doctors worked and how they fixed his leg. The nurses were also very nice, which made me think that hospitals are positive places to work. I also visited a few doctors’ offices as a patient, which gave me an idea of what it’s like to be a doctor.

In school, I have done well in most subjects, although I find some of them quite boring. I think science subjects are the most useful for becoming a doctor, so I have tried to focus on those. I got good grades in Biology and Chemistry, but I am not really interested in Physics because it’s too hard and not very relevant to medicine. However, I am confident that I will do well enough in my exams to get into medical school.

Outside of school, I haven’t really done much that relates to medicine, but I do like watching medical TV shows. They show a lot of what it’s like to be a doctor, and I find that really inspiring. I am also part of the school chess club, which has nothing to do with medicine, but I think it shows that I am good at strategy and thinking ahead, which could be useful in medicine.

I think I would be a good doctor because I care about people and want to make a lot of money while doing something important. I think doctors are respected and have good lives, and that is something I want for myself. I also like the idea of being in charge and making decisions that affect other people, which seems like something doctors do a lot.

In conclusion, I think medicine is a good career choice for me because it seems like a stable and rewarding job. I haven’t had a lot of direct experience, but I am sure that I will learn everything I need to know in medical school. I am excited about the idea of becoming a doctor and hope to get into a good medical school that will set me on the path to success.

Key Issues with this Medicine Personal Statement:

• Vague Motivation : The motivation for wanting to become a doctor is not well articulated. The statement begins with a generic and unconvincing reason (“it seems like a good job where you get to help people”).
• Lack of Relevant Experience : There is little to no relevant work experience mentioned. The writer relies on a brief visit to a hospital as a visitor, which does not demonstrate a real understanding or commitment to the field of medicine.
• Irrelevant Information : The mention of watching medical TV shows and being part of a chess club are irrelevant to the application. These points do not contribute to the applicant’s suitability for a medical career.
• Poor Academic Focus : The statement mentions a dislike for Physics and a general lack of interest in certain subjects, which could raise concerns about the applicant’s commitment and academic readiness for the challenges of medical school.
• Misguided Motivation : The desire to make a lot of money and be in charge are not appropriate primary motivations for entering the medical field. These motivations may reflect poorly on the applicant’s understanding of the profession.
• Lack of Structure and Coherence : The statement is disjointed and lacks a clear structure. It jumps from one topic to another without a coherent flow, making it difficult to follow.
• Overconfidence : The applicant expresses unwarranted confidence in their ability to succeed in medical school without demonstrating the necessary preparation or understanding of what the course entails.
• Lack of Personal Insight : The statement lacks personal reflection and does not convey the applicant’s genuine interest or dedication to the field of medicine.

This example illustrates how a poorly constructed personal statement can fail to make a compelling case for admission to medical school. It’s important to be reflective, specific, and focused when writing a personal statement to ensure it effectively communicates your suitability for the field.

In summary, writing a personal statement is exactly that, the process is an inherently personal process and therefore should be honest and deliberate in its approach. Our medicine personal statement guides and blog posts are there to provide inspiration and common pitfalls to avoid but in the end the medicine personal statement should be a true reflection of you and your motivation for medicine. If you would like to explore your statement further with a medicine personal statement tutor , then our personal statement service may be the perfect fit for you.  

Cancel reply

Related links.

• FREE Applying for Medical School Course
• FREE Applying to Dentistry Course
• FREE Applying to Vet School Course
• FREE UCAT Past Papers

With UCAS guidance and application advice, personal statement feedback, UCAT/BMAT support, interview coaching, and more!

A unique opportunity to explore the world of healthcare through interactive simulations and real-life case studies. Run by senior physicians

5-day programme with insights into the medical profession. Includes accommodation and ALL meals!

5-day programme with insights into the dental profession. Includes accommodation and ALL meals!

Please provide the mobile number of a guardian/parent

If you're ready and keen to get started click the button below to book your first 2 hour 1-1 tutoring lesson with us. Connect with a tutor from a university of your choice in minutes. (Use FAST5 to get 5% Off!)

What You Need To Know As A Medical School Reapplicant

• Cracking Med School Admissions Team

Every year, around 40% of applicants who apply to medical schools do not receive a single acceptance and will need to re-apply. If you find yourself in this group, do not worry! Many medical students and physicians practicing today did not get in on their first try. And if you are able to reflect on your application and make the needed improvements, you will have a much stronger chance of receiving an acceptance the second time around as a medical school reapplicant.

In this blog post, we detail:

• Identify why you were rejected to medical school
• Tips for people reapplying to medical school, including how to identify weaknesses in your application
• When to reapply to medical school
• What to know as a medical school reapplicant – commonly asked questions

Rejected from Medical School Reflection: What Went Wrong?

We strongly encourage you to do some soul searching, critical analysis of your last medical school application, and research what went wrong.

Common reasons that applicants do not succeed on their first try include:

• Lacks cohesion and a narrative throughout their medical school applications
• Non-competitive GPA and MCAT score (low GPA and/or low MCAT score)
• Poorly written essays
• Late submission of application
• Inappropriate school list/not applying to enough schools
• Insufficient understanding/exploration of medicine
• Deficient interview skills
• “Red flags” such as institutional actions (IAs) and/or negative LORs
• Did not fulfill pre-requisite requirements for medical schools

Ask yourself the following to determine which reason(s) might / may have weakened your application:

• Look at the median and 25 th -75 th percentile GPA/MCAT ranges of the schools you applied to. Are you in range? If not, your academic metrics may need to be boosted before reapplying.
• Have multiple people read over your essays/personal statement. Can they clearly explain why you want to go into medicine after reading your essays? Do they think your writing is generally well-written? Otherwise, your writing may need improvement.
• When did you submit your primary application? When was it verified? How long did it take for you to submit your secondaries? Ideally, you should aim to be complete at all of your schools by September.
• How many schools did you apply to? Do students accepted to schools you applied to have similar academic metrics on MSAR? Did you apply to out of state schools that do not favor out of state applicants? Consider having your school list reviewed by a trusted advisor and aim for at least 20-25 schools.
• How many hours of clinical experience did you apply with? Over how many years? Did you shadow multiple physicians, including primary care? While there are no set-in stone rules for clinical experience, it is a good idea to aim for 200+ hours and multiple years of commitment.
• Did you receive multiple interviews but no acceptances? Did you schedule mock interviews before the real thing? Consider performing mock interviews with your friends and mentors before re-applying to hone your interview skills.
• Negative comments from recommenders can definitely prevent you from gaining an acceptance offer in a very competitive admissions process. While IAs are self-reported, a negative LOR is difficult to detect on the applicant-side. Consider asking schools you applied to who are receptive to providing applicants feedback about weaknesses of your application!
• Look over whether you fulfilled the all the requirements for all the medical schools you applied to. Some medical schools require or “strongly recommend” 1 semester of Biochemistry – this is one class that many premeds did not take during their undergraduate careers and therefore did not fulfill the requirement for some medical schools.

Tips For People Reapplying to Medical School: Improving Your Application

Medical school reapplicant tip #1: raise your gpa and consider retaking the mcat .

If academic credentials were your weakness, consider taking 1-2 years to enroll in a post-bac program or a 1 year SMP program (ideally administered by a medical school). Aim for a 3.7+ GPA to show your readiness for a medical school curriculum! If you failed any of your prerequisite courses, you will also need to retake these to fulfill matriculation requirements at many medical schools. Remember, medical schools look highly on an “upwards trend,” so don’t worry if your cumulative GPA is still lower as long as you show a clear and consistent upwards trajectory in recent courses. Your target MCAT score will depend on the schools you are aiming for (competitiveness, DO vs. MD) as well as other components of your application. Consider re-taking if your first exam went poorly due to insufficient preparation and/or test day misfortunes. See our blog post on How to study for the MCAT for more information on how to ace your second attempt!

Medical School Reapplicant Tip #2: Review Our Tips For Writing Strong Essays

• With up to 5300-characters allotted for your personal statement, 700 characters for a maximum of 15 activities (including 3 most meaningful activities with an additional 1325 characters), and secondaries essays from most schools, your ability to succeed when applying to medical schools is highly dependent on your writing ability.

If you are going to reapply to medical school in the next 1-2 cycles, we strongly suggest that you work with our Cracking Med School Admissions team through our application packages to strengthen your application.

Here are links to our high yield blog posts:

• Download our AMCAS Work and Activities Workbook
• AMCAS Work and Activities Examples
• How To Write a Great Personal Statement

Medical School Reapplicant Tip #3: Apply Earlier in the Application Cycle

Medical school admissions is a rolling process. Therefore, applying late handicaps your own application before it has even been reviewed by an admissions committee member. Have a clear understanding of the application timeline and ensure you are ready to submit on day one and turnaround secondaries within 1-2 weeks of receiving them!

Medical School Reapplicant Tip #4: Tailor Your School List Towards Your Application

In making your school list, consider: location, personal fit, number of schools, and median GPA/MCAT scores of students accepted. Also look at GPA, MCAT, and matriculant data listed on MSAR to ensure you are applying to schools appropriately. Read our blog post about building a school list that optimizes your chances of getting accepted to medical school.

Medical School Reapplicant Tip #5: Strengthen Your Extracurricular Activity Involvements

If you had low clinical hours, accumulate additional hours volunteering and make note of any memorable experiences to potentially write or talk about later in a re-application cycle. Pursue leadership positions and build upon involvement in activities you are already a part of. In addition to demonstrating involvement, you should also be well-rounded by pursuing activities which you may have lacked the first time applying. For example, students often neglect non-clinical community service in solely focusing on clinical experiences.

Medical School Reapplicant Tip #6: Improve Your Interview Skills and Do More Mock Interviews

Think back on personal experiences in your activities and brainstorm at least one anecdote and “take away” for each activity you listed on your primary. Think about what common patterns and themes connect the activities you are involved with, and practice vocalizing those answers out loud in a cohesive manner. Even if you do not have a friend or mentor to practice with, you can record yourself and adjust after watching the recording to perfect your poise and delivery. 

Medical School Reapplicant Tip #7: Consider Gap Years, Post-bacc Programs To Improve Significant Weaknesses

If there was a significant red flag on your application, consider taking multiple gap years to put distance between the red flag and your application. For example, applicants previously disciplined for academic dishonesty have succeeded in gaining eventual acceptance to medical school after years of service (e.g. Peace Corps, working with underserved populations, army service) and time to mature.

What to know as a Reapplicant to medical school: answers to common questions

Many re-applicants ask us when to reapply to medical school. The simple answer is that you should not reapply until you feel ready. If you have taken the necessary steps to remediate any weaknesses and prepare a stronger application, then you should feel confident re-applying and fully commit to the process! We typically don’t suggest applicant to re-apply the following cycle. One exception to this is if your MCAT will expire the upcoming year.

We recommend re-writing any essays and descriptions. While you can talk about the same ideas and themes, you should do so from another perspective, or through different anecdotes. If you have significantly improved your application, you will need to write new descriptions and want to talk about things you have done since last applying anyway!

We’ve been asked in the past whether there is something specific a medical school reapplicant should write about in his or her personal statement or secondary essays. No. But, as we stated above, make sure that your all components of your AMCAS and secondary essays are 1) different from your last application and 2) stronger.

First, assess whether all your previous letters of recommendation were strong ones. You can certainly reuse letters of recommendation if you feel confident in them. Make sure your letter writers update the date on your letters as well as the content with any new activities you have become involved with. Second, Also consider asking for additional letters if you have pursued additional meaningful activities which you would like highlighted when re-applying.  One recommendation we give premeds is to ask for strong letters of recommendation .

There is no data from AAMC that allows for a clear answer to this question. Stay positive and focus on what you can control rather than worrying about the effects of being a reapplicant, a fact you cannot change.

If you are reapplying to medical school, contact our Cracking Med School Admissions team so we can coach you and advise you about how to strengthen your application. 

Yes! As long as you have meaningfully improved your application, you can absolutely apply to a medical school that previously rejected you. Keep in mind that some schools place restrictions on applicants who reapply multiple times (e.g. UCLA Geffen School of Medicine limits applicants to one reapplication only).

We suggest students to apply to more safety schools as a medical school re-applicant. Additionally, you should apply to at least 5 medical schools you have not applied to in the previous cycle. 

From our experience of looking and talking with over 100 re-applicants, most students can improve their AMCAS descriptions, personal statement, and secondary essays significantly.

Two resources that will give you the tips and tools to improve are:

• Our Cracking Med School Admissions book
• Our AMCAS Work and Activities workbook , including examples of AMCAS descriptions

There are many aspects of medical school applications that are in your control and can help boost your chances to get into medical school. First, analyze why you did not get accepted to medical school. Second, once you identify your application’s weaknesses, strengthen them. Third, continue making an impact through your interests. Fourth, consider getting additional medical school letters of recommendation. Fifth, when you reapply to medical school, make sure your application is submitted as early as possible and that you have significantly changed and improved your application.

Even though becoming a doctor and attending medical school is your life dream, it is not the end of the world! First, figure out what your weaknesses were in your medical school application. You need to strengthen those weaknesses and perhaps even make it a strength for your next application. For example, if you have a low GPA, consider taking a post-bac program or enroll in extension school courses to improve your GPA.  If you lack clinical hours, re-applicants typically work in scribing, EMT, or clinical research positions. However, our Cracking Med School Admissions team DOES NOT recommend these positions for all re-applicants.  We can help you strategize what to do in the time before applying to medical school.  Our goal is to help you STAND OUT.  Check out how we help re-applicants here or contact us down below.  

Contact Us. We're Happy To Help!

• Leave Us a Message or Question!

Start typing and press enter to search

Reapplicants

If you are reapplying to medical school, you are only considered a reapplicant to schools that received your verified AMCAS application from a previous application year. Keep in mind:

• You will need to resubmit official transcripts and letters of evaluation to the AMCAS program.
• You will indicate your reapplicant status for each school you’re reapplying to in the Medical Schools section of your application.
• Although most of your information rolls over from your submitted 2024 AMCAS application, the Main Menu will show all sections of your new application as “Incomplete.” You are responsible for your responses whether the information is rolled over or manually entered. You must review each section and edit or enter information as appropriate. When you verify that information is correct and select Continue at the end of each section, the Main Menu will show that section as complete. We suggest you print your application from the previous year to confirm what you submitted.
• If the AMCAS program made changes to a section of the application, you will need to reenter information there.
• If the information you provided for misdemeanors, felonies, and/or institutional actions varies from previous applications, the AAMC may investigate the discrepancy. Changes to how you describe the circumstances surrounding the misdemeanors, felonies, and/or institutional actions are acceptable.
• Printer-friendly version

Sign up to our Newsletter

Reapplying to medical school: the ultimate guide.

Learn how Lauren, a 2nd-time medical school reapplicant, got accepted into medical school after working with us in the video below! 

Anyone who has ever considered applying to medical school can recognize that it is a complicated, long, and unbelievably competitive process. 

To be successful, you must have excellent academics, extensive volunteer hours, experience in patient care, and enriching letters of recommendation. Yet, even the most successful premedical students are rejected from medical schools to which they applied.

It can be challenging to look at such a lengthy application and determine what went wrong. But this guide will help you identify your application’s weaknesses, understand what you can do to strengthen them, and explain how to reapply to medical school. 

Reapplying to medical school isn’t easy. However, this article will help you implement the necessary changes to ensure you submit a stellar application.

Get The Ultimate Guide on Writing an Unforgettable Personal Statement

Why Reapplying to Medical School Isn’t Bad

You may feel embarrassed or upset for not getting accepted to medical school after your first application. What you may not know is that this is normal , common , and OK. Sometimes, even the greatest candidates get rejected because there simply isn’t room in the next incoming class.

Many students have applied more than once to medical school before they were accepted. After all, many prestigious medical schools have low acceptance rates. For example, Stanford University ’s acceptance rate is only 2.3 percent. Low acceptance rates are a common occurrence at many of the top medical schools in the US .  

There is nothing wrong with reapplying to medical school after being rejected. If anything, it shows your dedication to medicine and your perseverance by continuing to work toward your passion. Admissions officers will recognize this. 

Before you stress about reapplying to medical school, there are several things you can do to strengthen your application. 

When Should You Reapply?

Although you are probably anxious to reapply to medical school as soon as possible, the best route to take begins with slowing down. Take time to assess and reflect upon your application. 

There may be obvious things you are missing in your application, like spots you can develop further. Alternatively, there may be places you can better show off your skills and knowledge in medicine. Whatever you do, take all the time necessary to seriously examine your application and reflect upon where you can improve. 

Remember — there must be a significant change in your application when reapplying to medical school; if your application looks virtually the same year over year, how will it change an admissions officer’s mind? 

Take the time you need to reevaluate, make changes, and do everything you can to strengthen your application. 

Assessing Your Previous Application

The first step in assessing your previous application is successfully identifying what didn’t work. 

For example, find out at which point in the admissions cycle you were declined. If you were denied before submitting a secondary application, your primary application was lacking something. Similarly, if you made it to the medical school application’s interview portion, your interview skills were likely lacking.

Once you can narrow down which aspects of your application hindered you from being accepted to medical school, you can focus on tackling each issue one by one. If you are unsure of your application’s weak points, you can always ask a teacher, peer, or family member for assistance. 

One great tip from John D. Schriner, Associate for Admissions and Student Affairs at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine , is to solicit feedback from the medical school to which you applied. Reach out and ask what prevented you from being accepted in the previous application cycle. 

Though not all schools are receptive, it does not hurt to try. Plus, if you receive that feedback, you will know which areas to target, amend, and improve. It is the perfect opportunity to act on the advice you receive and show the admissions officers that you can absorb feedback and excel because of it. 

Schriner also notes that there is no shame in addressing that you were rejected in your reapplication. Show the admissions officers that you’ve taken the time to reevaluate your application and your experiences, although you were denied. This way, you’ll demonstrate you’re a worthy and passionate medical school candidate. 

Don’t let a rejection stop you from pursuing your career in medicine.  

Planning How to Reapply to Medical School: Step-by-Step

Preparations

The first step in planning to reapply to medical school begins with taking a long, hard look at your application. This is to find any areas that need improvement, expansion, or removal. Though this may be a tedious process, it is imperative. 

Some things on your application may have deterred admissions officers from accepting you into their program. By identifying what is wrong with your application, you are one step closer to improving your med school application. 

Areas of Focus

When reevaluating your application, focus on one section at a time. This way, you can set your focus on one specific aspect of your application and thoroughly evaluate it. 

For example, don’t evaluate your personal statement and essays until you have gone through your extracurricular activities and deemed what was and was not representative of your experiences. 

Then, dig deeper. Can you identify any weaknesses in this section? Is there anything you can add to help admissions officers better understand what you are trying to show them? Is there a more efficient example you can use or a stronger description you can implement? 

According to the American Association of Medical Colleges , several key components go into a medical school application: 

• Primary application
• Background information
• Coursework & official transcript(s)
• Work and activities
• Letters of evaluation
• Personal statements & essays
• Secondary application
• Social media/internet search
• Financial information
• Criminal history search

GPA and MCAT Scores 

Your GPA and MCAT scores should reflect each other. To be a strong med school applicant, you must show that you have performed successfully in both areas. If either of these areas hindered your initial application, take the steps necessary to amend them. 

For example, your grades and GPA may have been an issue in your initial application. In that case, consider taking another course to improve your GPA for the next application cycle. 

If your MCAT score was low, utilize this time period before the next application cycle to reevaluate how, when, and where you study. Consider taking a preparatory course and retaking the MCAT exam. 

You will have the time to retake courses or exams before applying to medical school again, and this is an extremely productive use of your time. Additionally, retaking courses or exams exhibits your dedication to medicine and becoming a doctor despite your obstacles.

Letters of Recommendation: What Should Change?

Your letters of recommendation should not be a simple statement of your academic achievements. When looking to faculty or advisors to be letter writers, you are looking for someone who will advocate for you. Therefore, you need to ask someone who knows you well and is willing to justify why you deserve to be a medical student. 

Your letter writers should be advisors or faculty with whom you have a strong, professional relationship. They should also be ready and willing to speak to your character, drive, and passion for medicine. 

If your letters of recommendation were a problem area in your initial medical school applications, consider sending the American Association of Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation to your letter writers. This helps your letter writers know what admissions officers are looking for in a strong applicant.

Update Your Work Experience to Strengthen Your Application

Maybe the area of your application that needs work is your work experience. Most, if not all, medical schools heavily emphasize the importance of experience in patient care. This is an essential aspect of your duty as a doctor in the future. 

 If work experience was a problem area of your application, there is nothing wrong with waiting to reapply to medical school. Because you will have at least a year before the next application cycle, this is the perfect time to expand upon your experience. 

Some experiences you can pursue include getting a part-time job, volunteering , or shadowing a doctor. Reference this comprehensive list of extracurriculars for any medical school application when adjusting your own. 

Taking this step will not only cause admissions officers to notice this update in your application, but it will also help prepare you to become a doctor. 

Medical School Reapplicant Personal Statement: What Should Change?

When it comes to personal statements in a medical school application, it isn’t about having the most detail or the longest essay. What matters is that the content represents you, your character, and why you want to be a doctor. It is as simple as that. 

Your statement is where you can give admissions officers an insight as to who you really are. In it, you can advocate for yourself and show them why you are meant to be a doctor. Anything that deflects from this distracts admissions officers from why you believe you deserve to be a student at their medical school. 

The first step to writing your medical school reapplicant personal statement is reflection and self-assessment . 

Ask yourself: What aspects of your first statement were weak? Have you asked your pre-health advisor to review your application? Did you ask the schools that declined you for feedback? Do you understand what medical schools look for in applicants?

Once you have reflected and highlighted areas of growth, take the time to address them. Remember — medical schools are interested in how you have matured and used your time since the last application cycle. If you can show that you have dedicated yourself to improving your application, this will increase your chances of admission. 

While it’s important to demonstrate growth, you should also continue to illustrate your continued commitment to medicine. Perhaps you’ve shadowed a doctor or conducted clinical research since the last application cycle. In that case, highlight your experiences in your revised statement. 

If you have struggled with writing a successful personal statement, consider researching what personal statements and essay topics and questions have proven successful for past applicants. This can provide inspiration, insight, and a baseline for you to refer to when rewriting your personal statements.

Of course, grammar, cohesiveness, and clear descriptions are still essential in your statement. Any discrepancy in these areas is a surefire way to distract admissions officers from the critical points of your statement.

Have a trusted faculty member, advisor, or family member read through your statement. A fresh set of eyes is always a good way to look for mistakes you may have missed. Alternatively, Inspira Advantage offers free consultations with admissions experts to increase your chances of being accepted to medical school.

Redrafting your personal statement isn’t easy, especially as it will need large-scale revision. But looking at medical school reapplicant personal statement examples can be useful to see what worked for other applicants. 

Medical School Reapplicant Personal Statement Examples

Let’s take a look at an example personal statement that impressed the University of Minnesota’s Medical School admissions officers. 

Admissions officers note that this statement contains several key elements that make it great: 

• A clear motivation to pursue medicine 
• An understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of being a physician 
• Impactful interactions with patients 
• Reflecting on difficult experiences and the challenges of a medical career
• Dedication to pursuing medicine (evidenced by the applicant’s willingness to give up their spot on the rowing team)  

If you can include several of the points listed above, you’ll write a stellar personal statement. 

Interviews 

It is no secret that interviews can be an extremely nerve-wracking experience for most people. The best thing you can do to prepare for a med school interview is practice, practice, practice. 

‍ ‍ Where Are You Going to Apply?

So, you have successfully reassessed and implemented meaningful changes into your medical school applications. In that case, create a draft of a list of medical schools to which you plan to apply. 

Ask yourself: Are you applying to all the same medical schools you applied to previously? Are you applying to fewer? Are you applying to more? Are you applying to entirely different medical schools? 

Answering these questions will help you know what sort of guidelines you are following in each application. Once you are sure of which schools you are applying to, you can adjust your application accordingly. ‍ ‍ ‍

How to Go About the Reapplication Process

When you have finalized your applications, set up an appointment with your premedical advisor or admissions consultant to review them. A fresh set of eyes can spot any discrepancies you may have missed. 

To ensure you have done everything you can to fix your application, take the time to review the AAMC’s Tools for Medical School Applicants . Create a checklist when reviewing these tools and check them off as you go to ensure you didn’t miss anything. It just may be your saving grace!

FAQs: Reapplying to Medical School

Being a medical school reapplicant isn’t ideal. But we’ve provided several questions and answers to help make this process as painless as possible.

1. Is it bad to be a reapplicant for med school? 

Not at all. Reapplying shows your perseverance and dedication to medicine. 

Most candidates who apply to the top medical schools are rejected, so there is no shame in reapplying. 

2. Can I reapply to medical school after withdrawal?

Yes. But your chances of readmission depend on your reasons for withdrawal, as medical schools may not guarantee you readmission if you withdraw from their program. 

If you withdrew due to a severe illness or a family death and you excelled while in med school, you should be fine to reapply. However, if you struggled with the program, it will be difficult to gain admission as a reapplicant to that medical school.

3. Can I reapply to med school with the same application? 

No, you’ll need to submit a new application. 

Submitting a new application provides an excellent opportunity to address the weaknesses of your first application. Take the time to highlight these areas and improve them. 

4. Can I reapply to the same medical schools?

Yes! If you can illustrate that you have meaningfully improved your application, you will likely be a competitive reapplicant to medical school. 

Of course, you should be realistic about your odds of gaining readmissions to an extremely competitive school if your application remains largely unchanged.  

5. Can you reapply to medical school with the same letters of recommendation?

Yes. But AMCAS doesn’t hold them on file, so you’ll have to resubmit your rec letters with your new application. 

However, take the time to assess whether you want to submit new letters of recommendation. For example, if you’ve undertaken new volunteering, clinical , or research experiences , you may want a letter from your recent supervisor or professor.  

6. When should I reapply to medical school?

It varies between applicants, but you should only reapply to med school when you are ready. 

If you need to accrue more volunteering and clinical hours, take the time to complete them. Sure, you may have to skip an application cycle. But if you reapply the year after with an even stronger application, your chances of admission may be higher. 

7. Is it worth it to reapply to medical school?

Whether it is worth reapplying to medical school depends on you. 

If you’re passionate about medicine, helping people, and serving the community, medicine might just be the career for you. Otherwise, think hard about what you want to do in life.

Final Thoughts: Reapplying to Medical School

Applying to medical school is a huge decision and requires a lot of hard work. On top of that, it is an extremely competitive field. Acceptance rates are low, expectations are high, and every other applicant is your competitor for a spot. 

It is perfectly normal not to be accepted into medical school on your first try! This isn’t something that just happens to “bad” candidates or people who don’t want it enough. It happens to great, passionate premedical students everywhere. If you don’t give up and make every effort to show admissions officers that you are passionate about medicine, they will see that. 

Whether you work on submitting stronger personal essays, gaining more work experience in patient care, or retaking your MCAT exam, admissions officers will see and notice this effort. It speaks to your character and your drive to become a great doctor, which encourages admissions officers to give you the chance to be just that.

Schedule A Free Consultation

You may also like.

30 Pharmacy School Interview Questions

Does Medical School Ranking Matter?

Initiatives

Our community.

• Education & Admissions

Reapplying to Medical School

Ohio State offers advice for those reapplying to medical school. Learn more about your portfolio and reusing your personal statement.

Finding out that your medical school application was rejected can be discouraging. Before you reapply, ask yourself some tough questions: When you imagine yourself in that white coat, what aspect of being a physician leaves you feeling good inside? Is it the fulfillment of a deep desire to help others by curing, treating and preventing illness? Is it the high esteem in which doctors are held, or imagining how proud your family will be?

Although your time in medical school and residency training can be exhilarating and life-affirming, it can also be exhausting. You’re making a commitment to years of sacrifice and service — so be sure your motivation will sustain you on this journey.

If you’re confident that you want to be a doctor, then hold your head high and reapply. Know that you aren’t alone: Many current physicians were once in your place before experiencing the joy of ultimately gaining acceptance to medical school.  Every year, Ohio State accepts about 200 future doctors into medical school and, because there are far more applicants than there are seats in a class, some of these students will inevitably be repeat applicants.

As you reapply, here are some tips for success based on the experiences of repeat applicants.

Reapplying to medical school

Ask the question: Where did I go wrong in my medical school application?

Now’s not the time to be shy. It’s your responsibility to find out why you were rejected. Consider reaching out to your premedical advisor to discuss your possible shortcomings:

• Did you apply late in the cycle? 
• Did you present an application that was light on community service or research? 
• Are your GPA and MCAT scores competitive? 
• Did your essay make it clear that you’re passionate about becoming a physician?
• Did you convey to the admissions committee that you are well-rounded?
• Did your communication style fail to impress the interview committee?

Consider contacting the schools that rejected you, and ask for their advice on ways to strengthen your application. Draft a plan with their input, and then — and this is important to avoid insulting the school that took time to counsel you —  follow that plan .

An example: A rejected applicant met with an adviser to go over his application. It was clear that his undergraduate GPA was the problem. He had excellent experiences, including volunteer, community service, leadership and research. His MCAT score was only slightly lower than the school's average. His interview performance hadn’t been stellar, but it wasn’t bad either, and he would have had a significant chance of being offered an acceptance were it not for his low grades. The admissions committee liked him overall but was concerned that he would not be able to handle the medical school curriculum.

The adviser suggested he enter a one-year master's degree program in biomedical science, retake the MCAT and wait to reapply until he had completed the full year of graduate study. While this route would delay his medical school matriculation by two years, it would also significantly improve his chance of acceptance. Performing well in the courses, with at least a 3.5 GPA, would prove to admissions committees that he had the cognitive ability to master graduate-level biological science work — and studying these graduate science courses would also be excellent preparation for the MCAT.

Seeking advice is the first step, and following it can be the difference between achieving a goal and continuing to daydream about it.

Take time to positively impact your portfolio before you reapply to medical school

Think twice before reapplying immediately. The reason you weren’t offered an acceptance is because medical schools perceived shortcomings in your application. Most shortcomings are remediable and, given proper emphasis, your weaknesses can become strengths.

You want it to be obvious to anyone reading your file that you made a turnaround. To maximize the chances of giving off this perception, you must allow enough time before reapplying. This may prove to be the hardest part of the process, but be patient — if you rush it, you may join the ranks of those who are applying for a third time.

If your plan is to improve your chances by engaging in a meaningful research project, and you obtain a full-time research assistant position the summer after your unsuccessful attempt, wait at least one year before reapplying. One year of full-time, meaningful research is very powerful, and you may have the opportunity to present your research at a meeting — or, more impressively, co-author a scientific publication.

Even if you don’t publish or present at a national meeting, performing research for one solid year will give you plenty to discuss during your interview. If you reapply immediately the next cycle, you’ll still be too new in the research lab to have developed a sound knowledge of what you’re doing.

Another example: Say you were on a medical school waiting list until a week before classes started in August before you were finally rejected. You decide, with the school's input, that a higher MCAT score will make you competitive. Some candidates in this position retake the MCAT the very next time it is offered so they can reapply the very next cycle. But with this rushed approach, it’s unlikely that your MCAT score would improve much. It would be wiser to forget about the next cycle and plan to take the MCAT in January or the next spring after months of preparation, possibly including a formal MCAT prep course or a course or two in advanced biology that will hone your skills at problem-solving and reading comprehension. Then, apply the following summer for an entering class two years after your rejection.  

Another option you can pursue is an  online degree  to supplement your knowledge in area you are interested and passionate in. An online degree can give you the flexibility to earn a degree while participating in other activities such as research or clinical experience to supplement your application. Don’t get discouraged with the additional time it may take to pursue your goals. Everyone has 24 hours in a day — what you do with your time is what is important.

Can you reuse your personal statement for medical school when you reapply?

As a reapplicant, you must change something. You don't want to be a “boomerang applicant” — someone who responds to a rejection by simply sending out the same application the very next cycle. This is disrespectful to the medical school to which you are applying, and gives the impression that you don’t care about the process. It’s also a missed opportunity to show what you’ve learned. Even if you don’t apply to the same medical school, the admissions committee will likely know that you were unsuccessful the last time around.

You have an excellent opportunity here to take the negative and turn it into a positive. Consider these questions in your revised personal statement:

• Since being rejected from medical school, what did you learn about your perceived shortcomings?
• What have you done to improve upon them?
• In the interval between your medical school rejection and your reapplication, what did you learn about yourself?

Maybe you learned that you’re a person of great resilience and persistence — someone who simply won’t give up on their dreams. All of this is great material for your essay. Use it.

Many applicants in this position never mention that they were rejected the first time around. Some mistakenly think medical school reviewers are unaware of this fact, and if you don't mention it, they’ll never know. Most of the time they’ll know. In fact, if you’re reapplying to the same school, they’ll likely review your old application and your new application side by side to see what you’ve improved upon.

So step up to the plate, bare your feelings about being rejected, and paint a picture of how you methodically went about improving your portfolio. The admissions committee likely will be impressed.

Use the interview to show how you have improved as a medical school reapplicant

Should you receive an interview, you can be sure that you’ll be asked about your medical school rejection. If you’ve followed the advice above, this is the time to talk about it.

It’s uplifting to hear a reapplicant describe how they methodically went about preparing to reapply. When you describe how you contacted the schools that rejected your application to find out where you went wrong, you sound mature — someone who’s on a mission and won’t let one bump along the way stop them. Talk about how you drafted a new plan and put it into action.

Show them your persistence, determination and commitment to your goal of becoming a physician.

Helpful Links

• American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)

For help with any step along the way, contact: Office of Admissions The Ohio State University College of Medicine 614-292-7137 [email protected]

Medical School Sample Personal Statements

These are real personal statements from successful medical school applicants (some are from students who have used our services or from  our advisors ). These sample personal statements are for reference purposes only and should absolutely not be used to copy or plagiarize in any capacity. Plagiarism detection software is used when evaluating personal statements. Plagiarism is grounds for disqualification of an applicant.

Disclaimer: While these essays ultimately proved effective and led to medical school acceptances, there are multiple components that contribute to being an effective medical school applicant. These essays are not perfect, and the strengths and weaknesses have been listed where relevant.

Get 10 More Medical School Personal Statements

We'll send a PDF straight to your inbox containing 10 more stellar personal statements with expert breakdowns.

Check Your Inbox for the Next Steps!

Sample personal statements.

“I love Scriabin!” exclaimed Logan, a 19-year-old patient at the hospital, as we found a common interest in the obscure Russian composer. I knew Logan’s story because it was so similar to my own: a classically-trained pianist, he was ready to head off to college in a month, just as I had the year before. Yet it was Logan who was heading into surgery to remove a recently-discovered brain tumor. Hoping to assuage his fears of the daunting operation, I lent him my iPod full of Scriabin’s music. Though the surgery began normally, a few hours later, Logan’s blood pressure started dropping, and he became unresponsive to monitoring provided by the surgical neurophysiologist. As the nurses scrambled to stabilize him, I finally heard the neurosurgeon ask, “Did we lose him?” These four terse words immediately unnerved me. Logan was in the most critical and uncertain situation I could imagine, while the iPod I had lent him, a reminder of the conversation we had just a few hours earlier, was eerily visible on the other side of the room. While Logan, fortunately, went on to make a full recovery after a successful surgery, I was not ready to hear those four frightening words.

Perhaps I was so unnerved by those words because of my experiences with my mother’s sicknesses. My father and I try to be mentally prepared to lose her any day. With a Borderline Personality Disorder diagnosis, my mother has struggled with suicidal tendencies for most of my life. Her other illnesses, including several autoimmune disorders and severe gastrointestinal problems, certainly hinder her from experiencing the joys of life. But what is most difficult for me and my father is her anger and violence when she is in pain. My father would remind me that I had to consider the sources of her feelings, however irrational, in order to communicate with her. Though my relationship with my mother has proved challenging, I am thankful for these experiences.

In medicine, I will be able to use these experiences to understand psychological barriers to wellness and to better empathize with the patients I see in the clinic. Unique life experiences like these helped when I met Enrique, a patient presenting with an unusually painful fungal infection on one of his toenails. Though he was aware that his condition posed no lasting threat to his health, the extreme pain of the infection made him apprehensive of treatment, a soak in Povidone-iodine solution. “How can I help this man?” I asked myself, “He is about to refuse a simple treatment for a painful ailment.” Hoping to calm him, I struck up a conversation in Spanish, which I learned while living for some months in Cuernavaca, Mexico. This was not enough. As he became increasingly uneasy about the impending treatment, I remembered a line from Federico García Lorca’s “Romance de la Pena Negra”: “…wash your body with the water of the lark / and leave your heart in peace.” As Enrique calmly placed his foot into the “lark’s water,” I was relieved to see that this was the encouragement he needed. I believe that my travels have helped me appreciate the cultural backgrounds of many patients and have prepared me to be an empathetic clinician.

While I have been prepared to address patients psychologically and culturally, my training in the lab has prepared me to address patients biologically as well. Having worked extensively in two different labs studying vaccine development and microbial pathogenesis, I have developed a desire to use bench research to improve clinical care. One particularly striking manifestation of this concept came at the beginning of my day at an internist’s clinic. Walking into the office, I heard a most unsettling sound—a distinctive, screeching, painful yelp audible throughout the clinic. I instantly knew what case I would be seeing next: Whooping cough. When I saw Brody, a toddler, I was arrested by a unique commiseration, one of both pity and curiosity. I knew exactly what was happening to Brody. I had spent the last two years performing research on the bacteria that caused the disease,  Bordetella pertussis . Describing elements of the microbe’s pathogenesis and explaining how our research could improve vaccine efficacy was comforting to the family, and their response was encouraging to me as I continue my work. My research experiences have engendered a passion to be at the cutting edge of medicine, seeking always to improve patient care, so that in the future, I can come to a family like Brody’s with a better prognosis.

Though I may not have been prepared to hear those frightening words during Logan’s surgery, what I can say with confidence is that I am ready to begin the journey of a physician—the journey of a lifelong learner and a committed healer. I am ready to be challenged by difficult situations in the clinic, like Logan’s, because it is through those circumstances that I will learn and grow. I want to become a physician so that I can use my liberal arts education with my personal and professional experiences to meet medicine’s unique requirement of understanding patients psychologically, culturally, and biologically. I am ready to provide the most excellent patient care, empathetically and holistically appreciating my patients’ stories in order to serve them best.

The author masterfully weaves together multiple elements of his unique experiences in medicine to tell a compelling story. This an excellent example of “show, don’t tell”, whereby the author tells stories and takes the reader on a journey rather than simply listing what he did in the past.

For example, rather than explicitly stating that he did research on Bordetella pertussis, the author tells a story of a patient with Whooping cough and interweaves his research experience there, tying together a message of the future doctor’s interest in translational (from bench to bedside) research. Similarly, rather than explicitly stating he did experience A, and learned important lesson B and C, these themes are implied more indirectly. As a result, the essay reads smoothly as a story, and grips the reader.

The author’s voice comes through, transitions are smooth, the introduction engages the reader, and the story arc neatly comes full circle. The character limit was pushed to the limit (5,299) and the author made every word count. Fantastic essay.

The main reason why I want to go into medicine is because of a promise I made to my sister when I was eight years old. My sister, who was only a few months old, was aware I had been taking care of her while our parents were working late. Caring for her gave me a feeling of responsibility I had never experienced before. When my sister woke up with a fever, I felt helpless. Her doctor was able to take care of the most important person in my life by systematically ruling out possible causes for the fever while still helping my sister feel safe, allowing me to see the beauty of medicine. I made a promise to my sister to become a medical doctor, so I can take care of her and other people who cannot take care of themselves. Later, my mother explained to me that medicine had made my life possible because I had been conceived through in vitro fertilization. This reinforced my motivation to become a physician and encourages me to this day to come full circle and give back to the field that made my life possible by helping others in need.

I continued to pursue my dream of practicing medicine by volunteering in the Intensive Care Unit at the UC San Diego Thornton Medical Center, where I gained first-hand experience interacting with patients. While collecting laboratory samples from nurses, I talked to a patient who only spoke Spanish. As the interpreter had not arrived yet, I was the only Spanish speaker in the unit, and my Spanish was basic at best. I asked the patient about her day and family, which really lifted her spirits. This interaction taught me the importance of personal connections with patients.

Shadowing allowed me to learn the characteristics of a good physician. Before surgeries, I obtained the patient’s consent to let me observe the procedure while the surgeon went over the patient’s last minute concerns. One patient needed an Aortic Valve Replacement, and when I was getting his consent he told me he was a famous Italian singer. The surgeon asked him to sing his hit song, and I was amazed. The patient’s face lit up and all his worries faded before the surgery. Even though the patient was going to be heavily sedated, the surgeon still cared about the patient’s stress about the procedure and that really drew me to the profession and showed me that there is more to being a good doctor than just the technicalities or knowledge from textbooks.

Volunteering at a veterans’ hospital exposed me to a side of medicine I have only read about in the news. People who are underserved and undereducated who refuse medical care. I would call patients who could not go to any other hospital and try to convince them to have their eyes checked for diabetes symptoms in the Teleretinal Imaging department. One veteran answered my call with a groan asking why he needs to go to the hospital when he knows he does not have diabetes. I realized I had to explain to him that symptoms can develop well before the actual disease. This inspired me to help patients in underprivileged communities because some are not educated enough to know when something is wrong with their bodies.

I know if I am given the chance to practice medicine and serve as a leader in the African American community, I can deliver the same inspiration and become a role model for those who are disadvantaged. At UC San Diego I joined the Black Student Union where I was able to reach out to those who were unsure about pursuing a higher education. Speaking to high school students about my college experiences has improved my communication skills and ability to relate to diverse populations. I spoke about how college can open many more opportunities for these students and that there are countless resources and scholarships that can help them. I will use simple and direct communication to help patients understand their disease. Through this experience, I knew I wanted to practice medicine that is personal through interaction with minority communities. After these events, it is clear to me that I cannot give up on my dreams of becoming a doctor because when I rise I will also lift those around me with the same struggle.

In elementary school, I realized there was a lack of famous African-American physicians, so I asked my parents if they knew of anyone. My father told me about my uncle, Roy Harris, who grew up in the inner city, surrounded by drugs and gangs. In order to avoid these hardships, he joined the high school track team and continued running through college while pursuing his medical degree. I began running to remind myself of his inspiring story and, like him, encourage a change in the world so one day students will have more African-American doctors to emulate. I am currently one of the top athletes in the nation, an Academic All-American, and I hope to compete at NCAA Division II nationals next year. Running has given me the discipline to maintain a balanced life, provided me the focus to succeed in medical school, and given me the drive to work toward fulfilling my dreams. Most importantly, I made a promise to my sister, creating an unshakeable foundation of endless motivation that will encourage me even through the most distressing moments of my journey to become a physician. I will never give up nor surrender because I always keep my promises.

The author uses an anecdote to start and finish the essay, which is a common and effective way to create a story arc. He calls back to multiple experiences throughout his life, from childhood to adolescence to young adulthood to bolster his resolve for pursuing medicine. His interesting background and stories, such as the promise he made to his sister, and his inspiration for picking up track, make for unique elements in this personal statement.

While the author does reflect back to multiple experiences, this comes across more as “telling” than “showing”. Compare this to the essay above to see the difference. The author has a common and repeating paragraph structure of 1) explain what the extracurricular or experience is, 2) recount a story related to said experience, and 3) draw lessons learned. While this structure gets the point across, it does not come across as engaging or compelling to the reader.

The author’s desire to give back to the African American community as well as his high aspirations are admirable.

At the beginning of the first Alternative Spring Break (ASB) meeting that I was leading in front of a group of nervous volunteers, I used an icebreaker, Two Truths and a Lie. Being a common face at my campus’s student activities, I have played this game perhaps one too many times. Unlike everyone else who had to take time to think about their interesting truths, I would say the same thing every time. “I want to be a pediatrician, I have alpacas, and I have llamas.”

I do not have llamas.

Growing up on a farm has given me great pride throughout the years and has driven my passion for service to my community, leading me to the goal of a career as a pediatrician. The farm is where I was first introduced to medicine. I would assist my father give shots to our animals, help our alpacas give birth to their crías, and talk with our family veterinarian about his treatment methods. The farm spawned in me a love for science which has shaped my career path, and my knowledge acquired through the farm has been a pleasure to share with people. My mother and I would visit the special education classrooms of different schools to show the kids presentations of the farm. We would lead demonstrations of us cleaning, spinning and crocheting the fiber to an involved and excited crowd of individuals. I have had numerous positive interactions with kids which has made me realize that there is no group I would rather work with more.

Our family farm became close with the few farms that were around us. We would help the alpaca farm 20 minutes from us shear their alpacas, and we once helped a small farm repair its fence that had been ravaged by a tornado. It felt good to be able to help people with things that not everybody has the knowledge to do. The farm helped shape my view of community into one of empathy which encompasses the spirit of being a physician. The joy I received from helping other farms led me to pursue community service opportunities at my university which I found first with ASB, a community service organization in which students dedicate their spring breaks to participate in meaningful service activities, and later as an AmeriCorps volunteer. When I signed up for my first ASB trip in my freshman year, I looked for a trip that involved helping kids. I knew I loved working with the younger population by assisting my mom at her home daycare and those presentations we gave to special education classes. The trip that caught my attention was to Pulaski, VA, which worked with a service organization called Beans and Rice. We would do fulfilling tornado recovery work in the morning, but I most looked forward to afternoons where we got to sit down and chat with kids about their days while helping them with their homework. I heard many stories from the kids about going to bed hungry or their parents being out of work. We were able to sit with whomever we wished during the kids’ lunch which I primarily spent with Chase, a boy who the other kids saw as an outcast due to his sexual orientation. My time with these kids made me realize how some people did not grow up with the strong sense of community that I knew at their age and inspired me to continue my work with their age group.

During my time in Pulaski, the director of the organization recognized my passion for working with kids and encouraged me to apply to AmeriCorps. I found a program in Lincoln, NE which allowed me to work with impoverished kids and share my passion of science with them under my given alias of T-Roy the Science Boy (not to be confused with my rival, Bill Nye the Science Guy). My relationships with the children I was working with grew fast, but one student made a significant impact on me. The second-grader was incapable of paying attention to academics yet had an amazing sense of humor. On the surface, his apparent developmental issues brought on by fetal alcohol syndrome resulted in hyperactivity and an inclination for angry outbursts. I spent time with him every day but came to the realization that, no matter how many times I was able to help him understand something, it did little to help his underlying health problems. Going to medical school will allow me to obtain the knowledge and skills I need to offer the ultimate service to people like my second-grade student—access to a healthy life.

With a strong desire to continue giving back to my community, I signed up to be a patient advocate in Baystate Medical Center’s emergency room. Here I was exposed to different health issues and many upset family members. It was my job to ensure the patients and their families were as comfortable as possible, but my job often morphed into one of a storyteller conversing with the families to get their minds off their difficult situations. Of course, the alpacas were a common topic of discussion since kids always love seeing the goofy haircuts we give them. My mother made this an easy task by uploading a video of us shearing the alpacas onto YouTube titled “Spit Happens”. A fitting name, no doubt. I have been blessed to share my farm-inspired sense of community with a broad range of different cultures from Nebraska to Virginia. I look forward to travelling to new communities as a physician while keeping my community-driven morals close, so alpaca my bags now.

This author is unique in his excellent command of humor. Note that this is a riskier approach and most applicants should avoid humor. In this setting, the humor certainly adds value to the essay, although this may be more off-putting to more traditional and conservative medical school admissions committee members. Overall, a high risk and high reward strategy, because when it lands, it makes for a compelling, unique, and entertaining read. Remember, admissions committees are reading through thousands of essays, and this comes as a breath of fresh air.

The introduction is brilliantly engaging and humorous, and entices the reader for what is to come. Clearly, this author has an interesting story to share and isn’t afraid to make you laugh.

While the essay is overall good, it could be improved in a few notable ways. First, the sentence structure and word choice can be tightened up in areas. The reader may find themself having to reread more than one sentence to understand what the writer is hoping to convey. Secondly, while the author does a great job highlighting a very unique and wide ranging background, showing more than telling would increase the effectiveness of this essay. Additionally, more emphasis and attention on “why medicine” and “why you would make a good doctor” would make this medical school personal statement more universally appealing (and less risky).

It’s not every day you help a kid become Iron Man. It happened for me during an internship at the NIH. I was responsible for designing the electronics and software for a portable robotic exoskeleton to help children expressing crouch gait due to cerebral palsy to improve their gait by retraining their muscles and neuron pathways. I saw the project as a fascinating technical problem and immersed myself in solving it.

Then I met Isaiah. Isaiah is a child with cerebral palsy expressing crouch gait with limited mobility. When Isaiah first began training on the robot, he became frustrated. As I watched him become exasperated using the device, it really hit me that I was creating a device for a real person, and the way we delivered his care was every bit as important to what we were doing as delivering an effective technical solution. As his confidence grew, I witnessed Isaiah, who could barely walk without the device, try to run. We even had to tell him to slow down! He asked if he could bring home the device because it made him feel like Iron Man. This experience crystalized for me my calling, to solve the challenging medical problems children face with love and a deep appreciation for their humanity.

I have firsthand knowledge of what it means to a child with serious medical problems to have loving physicians and nurses. When I was four, I received a heart transplant. Five years later, I fell ill with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Throughout these difficult and uncertain times, I was fortunate to have a clinical team whose positivity and humor made me feel like a normal kid despite the fact that I was facing grave medical problems. While these experiences were difficult, they gave me a perspective that I treasure because it gives meaning to every day of my life. This perspective is where my calling originates – to become a physician-engineer completely committed to the emotional well-being of each of my patients.

The engineering problems many children face are substantial, and I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given to develop my skills in this area. As a part of the Center for Bioengineering Innovation & Design’s design team program I worked on two projects that taught me different aspects of the process of developing medical devices. The first project, NeoVate, gave me an overview of the design process of bringing medical devices to market. We developed a neonatal monitoring system for the developing world. We began with a needs assessment and then prototyped our solution to satisfy the specifications we developed. While I focused on the technical development, it was valuable to see other members create a sustainable distribution model because it helped me understand the step by step process by which an idea goes from concept to adoption in the medical field.

For the second project, TacPac, I was the team leader. On past teams I had a narrow focus on the technical development, but on TacPac I had to be knowledgeable about all aspects of the project and see the big picture in order to develop strategies to move the team forward. I learned how to create contingency plans by reaching out to our numerous advisors in many different specialties to build decision trees.

This project had an extra layer of meaning for me since we were developing an at-home monitoring system for tacrolimus, an immunosuppressant drug I have been taking for over twelve years. Currently, monitoring of this drug’s levels can only be done in a clinical setting. Our device allows patients to monitor their levels in the home, allowing for less inconvenience to patients and more data to make more informed clinical decisions.

While my engineering training developed my technical skills, the foundation of my heart and why I will pour myself into my vocation is derived from the love and care I received from my own clinical team as a child. I feel called to be of service to children with serious medical issues, just as my physicians and nurses were to me. One of my favorite volunteer experiences was when I was a camp counselor for Heart Camp, where I had previously been a camper. Heart Camp is a week-long camp for children with congenital heart defects designed to create an environment of fun, hope, and normalcy. This is one way in which I can use the difficult experiences of my childhood for good because it is easy for me to bring normalcy to these children’s lives since for me, it is normal.

Another volunteer opportunity that has had a tremendous amount of meaning for me is working with the Washington Regional Transplant Community to spread organ donation awareness by telling my story. Since I never received the chance to know my donor family, I use this volunteering as my way to say thank you.

I have enjoyed my engineering studies and my volunteering experiences have been of tremendous value to me, but I cannot wait to go to medical school. It is my desire to be a bridge between the technical engineering world and the direct delivery of care that only physicians can give. I feel it is my mission to use all of my experiences, both good and bad, to find innovative solutions to help the next Wonder Woman and Captain America thrive both physically and in every other part of their lives.

The superhero theme is unique, timely, and highly relevant to the author’s interest in pursuing a pediatric specialty. The author has a strong research background and ultimately was accepted to a highly ranked and research heavy institution, which is no surprise. While a significant portion of the body of the essay reads as “tell” more than “show”, some aspects of the personal statement use more effective story telling.

Deep interest in research, a unique background of being a lymphoma patient, and a palpable passion to help other kids who are suffering makes this applicant come across as a valuable asset to any research oriented medical school.

To further improve the impact of this essay, the author could remove one or two experiences listed in a more descriptive way and incorporate immersive stories to convey the significance and impact they had on him.

Stuck on Your Personal Statement?

We can help, from brainstorming to in-depth essay editing, and everything between

Join the Insider Newsletter

Receive regular exclusive MSI content, news, and updates! No spam. One-click unsubscribe.

Customer Note Premed Preclinical Med Student Clinical Med Student

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Great Medical School Personal Statement Examples (2024-2025) Insider’s Guide

A physician and former medical school admissions officer teaches you how to write your medical school personal statement, step by step. Read several full-length medical school personal statement examples for inspiration.

In this article, a former medical school admissions officer explains exactly how to write a stand-out  medical school personal statement!

Our goal is to empower you to write a medical school personal statement that reflects your individuality, truest aspirations and genuine motivations.

This guide also includes:

• Real life medical school personal statement examples
• Medical school personal statement inventory template and outline exercise
• AMCAS ,  TMDSAS , and  AACOMAS  personal statement prompts
• Advanced strategies to ensure you address everything admissions committees want to know
• The secret to writing a great medical school personal statement

So, if you want your medical school personal statement to earn more more medical school interviews, you will love this informative guide.

Let’s dive right in.

Table of Contents

Medical School Personal Statement Fundamentals

If you are getting ready to write your medical school personal statement for the 2024-2025 application year, you may already know that almost 60% of medical school applicants are not accepted every year . You have most likely also completed all of your medical school requirements and have scoured the internet for worthy medical school personal statement examples and guidance.

You know the medical school personal statement offers a crucial opportunity to show medical schools who you are beyond your GPA and MCAT score .

It provides an opportunity to express who you are as an individual, the major influences and background that have shaped your interests and values, what inspired you to pursue medicine, and what kind of a physician you envision yourself becoming.

However, with so much information online, you are not sure who to trust. We are happy you have found us!

Insider Knowledge and Expertise

Because the vast majority of people offering guidance are not former admissions officers or doctors , you must be careful when searching online.

We are real medical school admissions insiders and know what goes on behind closed doors and how to ensure your medical school personal statement has broad appeal while highlighting your most crucial accomplishments, perspectives, and insights.

With tight limits on space, it can be tough trying to decide what to include in your medical school personal statement to make sure you stand out. You must think strategically about how you want to present your personal “big picture” while showing you possess the  preprofessional competencies  med schools are seeking.

When a medical school admissions reviewer finishes reading your medical school personal statement, ask yourself:

• What are the most important things you want that person to remember about you?
• Does your medical school personal statement sum up your personality, interests, and talents?
• Does your medical school personal statement sound as if it’s written from the heart? Is it authentic?

It’s pretty obvious to most admissions reviewers when applicants are trying too hard to impress them. Being authentic and upfront about who you are is the best way to be a memorable applicant.

“After sitting on a medical school admissions committee for many years, I can tell you, think strategically about how you want to present your personal “big picture.” We want to know who you are as a human being.”

The Biggest Medical School Personal Statement Mistakes

The most common medical school personal statement mistake we see students make is that they write about:

• What they have accomplished
• How they have accomplished it

By including details on what you have accomplished and how, you will make yourself sound like every other medical school applicant. 

Most medical school applicants are involved in similar activities: research, clinical work, service, and social justice work. 

To stand out, you must write from the heart making it clear you haven’t marched through your premedical years and checking boxes.

We also strongly discourage applicants from using ChatGPT or any AI bot to write their medical school personal statement. Writing in your own voice is essential and using anything automated will undermine success.

The Medical School Personal Statement Secret

MedEdits students stand out in the medical school personal statement because in their personal statements they address:

WHY they have accomplished what they have.

In other words, they write in more detail about their passions, interests, and what is genuinely important to them. 

It sounds simple, we know, but by writing in a natural way, really zeroing in on WHY YOU DO WHAT YOU DO, you will appeal to a wide variety of people in a humanistic way. 

Why? How is that possible? They all have a few things in common:

• They write a narrative that is authentic and distinctive to them.
• They write a medical school personal statement with broad appeal (many different types of people will be evaluating your application; most are not physicians).
• They don’t try too hard to impress; instead they write about the most impactful experiences they have had on their path to medical school.
• They demonstrate they are humble, intellectual, compassionate, and committed to a career in medicine all at the same time.

Keep reading for a step by step approach to write your medical school personal statement.

Learn the 2024-2025 Medical School Personal Statement Prompts ( AMCAS , TMDSAS , AACOMAS )

The personal statement is the major essay portion of your primary application process. In it, you should describe yourself and your background, as well as any important early exposures to medicine, how and why medicine first piqued your interest, what you have done as a pre med, your personal experiences, and how you became increasingly fascinated with it. It’s also key to explain why medicine is the right career for you, in terms of both personal and intellectual fulfillment, and to show your commitment has continued to deepen as you learned more about the field.

The personal statement also offers you the opportunity to express who you are outside of medicine. What are your other interests? Where did you grow up? What did you enjoy about college? Figuring out what aspects of your background to highlight is important since this is one of your only chances to express to the med school admissions committee before your interview what is important to you and why.

However, it is important to consider the actual personal statement prompt for each system through which you will apply, AMCAS, AACOMAS, and TMDSAS, since each is slightly different.

Need help with your Personal Statement?

Schedule a free 15 Minute Consultation with a MedEdits expert.

2024 AMCAS Personal Statement Prompt

The AMCAS personal statement instructions are as follows:

Use the Personal Comments Essay as an opportunity to distinguish yourself from other applicants. Consider and write your Personal Comments Essay carefully; many admissions committees place significant weight on the essay. Here are some questions that you may want to consider while writing the essay:

• Why have you selected the field of medicine?
• What motivates you to learn more about medicine?
• What do you want medical schools to know about you that hasn’t been disclosed in other sections of the application?

In addition, you may wish to include information such as:

• Unique hardships, challenges, or obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits
• Comments on significant fluctuations in your academic record that are not explained elsewhere in your application

As you can see, these prompts are not vague; there are fundamental questions that admissions committees want you to answer when writing your personal statement. While the content of your statement should be focused on medicine, answering the open ended third question is a bit trickier.

The  AMCAS  personal statement length is 5,300 characters with spaces maximum.

2024 TMDSAS Personal Statement Prompt

The  TMDSAS  personal statement is one of the most important pieces of your medical school application.

The TMDSAS personal statement prompt is as follows:

Explain your motivation to seek a career in medicine. Be sure to include the value of your experiences that prepare you to be a physician.

This TMDSAS prompt is very similar to the AMCAS personal statement prompt. The TMDSAS personal statement length is 5,000 characters with spaces whereas the AMCAS personal statement length is 5,300 characters with spaces. Most students use the same essay (with very minor modifications, if necessary) for both application systems.

2024 AACOMAS Personal Statement Prompt

The  AACOMAS  personal statement is for osteopathic medical schools specifically. As with the AMCAS statement, you need to lay out your journey to medicine as chronologically as possible in 5,300 characters with spaces or less. So you essentially have the same story map as for an AMCAS statement. Most important, you must show you are interested in osteopathy specifically. Therefore, when trying to decide what to include or leave out, prioritize any osteopathy experiences you have had, or those that are in line with the osteopathic philosophy of the mind-body connection, the body as self-healing, and other tenets.

Medical School Application Timeline  and When to Write your Personal Statement

Most medical school personal statements can be used for AMCAS and AACOMAS.

Know the Required Medical School Personal Statement Length

Below are the medical schools personal statement length limits for each application system. As you can see, they are all very similar. When you start brainstorming and writing your personal statement, keep these limits in mind.

AMCAS Personal Statement Length : 5,300 characters with spaces.

As per the AAMC website :  “The available space for this essay is 5,300 characters (spaces are counted as characters), or approximately one page. You will receive an error message if you exceed the available space.”

AACOMAS Personal Statement Length : 5,300 characters with spaces

TMDSAS Personal Statement Length : 5,000 characters with spaces

As per the TMDSAS Website (Page 36): “The personal essay asks you to explain your motivation to seek a career in medicine. You are asked to include the value of your experiences that prepare you to be a physician. The essay is limited to 5000 characters, including spaces.”

• Service Orientation
• Social Skills
• Cultural Competence
• Oral Communication
• Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others
• Reliability and Dependability
• Resilience and Adaptability
• Capacity for Improvement
• Critical Thinking
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Written Communication
• Scientific Inquiry

2. Why do you want to be a doctor?

This may seem pretty basic – and it is – but admissions officers need to know WHY you want to practice medicine. Many applicants make the mistake of simply listing what they have done without offering insights about those experiences that answer the question, “Why medicine?” Your reasons for wanting to be a doctor may overlap with those of other applicants. This is okay because the experiences in which you participated, the stories you can tell about those experiences, and the wisdom you gained are completely distinct—because they are only yours. 

“In admissions committee meetings we were always interested in WHY you wanted to earn a medical degree and how you would contribute to the medical school community.”

Medical school admissions committees want to know that you have explored your interest deeply and that you can reflect on the significance of these clinical experiences and volunteer work. But writing only that you “want to help people” does not support a sincere desire to become a physician; you must indicate why the medical profession in particular—rather than social work, teaching, or another “helping” profession—is your goal.

3. How have your experiences influenced you?

It is important to show how your experiences are linked and how they have influenced you. What motivated you from your experiences? In what ways did they influence your other activities? How were your future goals shaped by these experiences? Medical school admissions committees like to see a sensible progression of involvements. While not every activity needs to be logically “connected” with another, the evolution of your interests and how your experiences have nurtured your future goals and ambitions show that you are motivated and committed.

4. Who are you as a person? What are your values and ideals?

Medical school admissions committees want to know about you as an individual beyond your interests in medicine, too. This is where answering that third open ended question in the prompt becomes so important. What was interesting about your background, youth, and home life? What did you enjoy most about college? Do you have any distinctive passions or interests? They want to be convinced that you are a good person beyond your experiences. Write about those topics that are unlikely to appear elsewhere in your statement that will offer depth and interest to your work and illustrate the qualities and characteristics you possess.

Related Articles:

• How to Get into Stanford Medical School
• How to Get into NYU Medical School
• How To Get Into Columbia Medical School
• How To Get Into UT Southwestern Medical School
• How To Get Into Harvard Medical School

Complete Your Personal Inventory and Outline (Example Below)

Highlighting valuable experiences, experience-based personal inventory exercise, creating your personal inventory.

• List Important Experiences: Write down a list of the most important experiences in your life and your development. The list should be all-inclusive and comprise those experiences that had the most impact on you. Put the list, which should consist of personal, extracurricular, and academic events, in chronological order.
• Identify Key Experiences: From this list, determine which experiences you consider the most important in helping you decide to pursue a career in medicine. This “experience-oriented” approach will allow you to determine which experiences best illustrate the personal competencies admissions committees look for in your written documents. Remember that you must provide evidence for your interest in medicine and for most of the personal qualities and characteristics that medical school admissions committees want to see.
• Reflect on Influences: After making your list, think about why each “most important” experience was influential and write that down. What did you observe? What did you learn? What insights did you gain? How did the experience influence your path and choices?
• Create Illustrations: Then think of a story or illustration for why each experience was important.
• Evaluate for Significance: After doing this exercise, evaluate each experience for its significance and influence and for its “story” value. Choose to write about those experiences that not only were influential but that also will provide interesting reading, keeping in mind that your goal is to weave the pertinent experiences together into a compelling story. In making your choices, think about how you will link each experience and transition from one topic to the next.
• Plan Your Outline: Decide which of your listed experiences you will use for your introduction first (see below for more about your introduction). Then decide which experiences you will include in the body of your personal statement, create a general outline, and get writing!

Crafting Your Narrative

Craft a compelling personal statement introduction and body.

You hear conflicting advice about application essays. Some tell you not to open with a story. Others tell you to always begin with a story. Regardless of the advice you receive, be sure to do three things:

• Be true to yourself. Everyone will have an opinion regarding what you should and should not write. Follow your own instincts. Your  personal statement  should be a reflection of you, and only you.
• Start your personal statement with something catchy.  Think about the list of potential topics above.
• Don’t rush your work. Composing thoughtful documents takes time and you don’t want your writing and ideas to be sloppy and underdeveloped.

Most important is to begin with something that engages your reader. A narrative, a “story,” an anecdote written in the first or third person, is ideal. Whatever your approach, your first paragraph must grab your reader’s attention and motivate him to want to continue reading. I encourage applicants to start their personal statement by describing an experience that was especially influential in setting them on their path to medical school. This can be a personal or scholarly experience or an extracurricular one. Remember to avoid clichés and quotes and to be honest and authentic in your writing. Don’t try to be someone who you are not by trying to imitate personal statement examples you have read online or “tell them what you think they want to hear”; consistency is key and your interviewer is going to make sure that you are who you say you are!

When deciding what experiences to include in the body of your personal statement, go back to your personal inventory and identify those experiences that have been the most influential in your personal path and your path to medical school. Keep in mind that the reader wants to have an idea of who you are as a human being so don’t write your personal statement as a glorified resume. Include some information about your background and personal experiences that can give a picture of who you are as a person outside of the classroom or laboratory.

Ideally, you should choose two or three experiences to highlight in the body of your personal statement. You don’t want to write about all of your accomplishments; that is what your application entries are for!

Write Your Personal Statement Conclusion

In your conclusion, it is customary to “go full circle” by coming back to the topic—or anecdote—you introduced in the introduction, but this is not a must. Summarize why you want to be a doctor and address what you hope to achieve and your goals for medical school. Write a conclusion that is compelling and will leave the reader wanting to meet you.

Complete Personal Statement Checklist

When reading your medical school personal statement be sure it:

Shows insight and introspection

The best medical school personal statements tell a great deal about what you have learned through your experiences and the insights you have gained.

You want to tell your story by highlighting those experiences that have been the most influential on your path to medical school and to give a clear sense of chronology. You want your statement always to be logical and never to confuse your reader.

Is interesting and engaging

The best personal statements engage the reader. This doesn’t mean you must use big words or be a literary prize winner. Write in your own language and voice, but really think about your journey to medical school and the most intriguing experiences you have had.

Gives the reader a mental image of who you are

You want the reader to be able to envision you as a caregiver and a medical professional. You want to convey that you would be a compassionate provider at the bedside – someone who could cope well with crisis and adversity.

Not true. The vast majority of  personal statements  do not have themes. In fact, most are somewhat autobiographical and are just as interesting as those statements that are woven around a “theme.” It is only the very talented writer who can creatively write a personal statement around a theme, and this approach often backfires since the applicant fails to answer the three questions above.

Medical School Personal Statement Examples and Analysis for Inspiration

AMCAS Medical School Personal Statement Example and Analysis #1 with Personal Inventory

We will use Amy to illustrate the general process of writing an application to medical school, along with providing the resulting documents. Amy will first list those experiences, personal, extracurricular, and scholarly, that have been most influential in two areas: her life in general and her path to medical school. She will put this personal inventory in chronologic order for use in composing her personal statement.

She will then select those experiences that were the most significant to her and will reflect and think about why they were important. For her application entries, Amy will write about each experience, including those that she considers influential in her life but not in her choice of medicine, in her application entries. Experiences that Amy will not write about in her activity entries or her personal statement are those that she does not consider most influential in either her life or in her choice of medicine.

• Going with my mom to work. She is a surgeon — I was very curious about what she did. I was intrigued by the relationships she had with patients and how much they valued her efforts. I also loved seeing her as “a doctor” since, to me, she was just “mom.”
• I loved biology in high school. I started to think seriously about medicine then. It was during high school that I became fascinated with biology and how the human body worked. I would say that was when I thought, “Hmm, maybe I should be a doctor.”
• Grandmother’s death, senior year of high school. My grandmother’s death was tragic. It was the first time I had ever seen someone close to me suffer. It was one of the most devastating experiences in my life.
• Global Health Trip to Guatemala my freshman year of college. I realized after going to Guatemala that I had always taken my access to health care for granted. Here I saw children who didn’t have basic health care. This made me want to become a physician so I could give more to people like those I met in Guatemala.
• Sorority involvement. Even though sorority life might seem trivial, I loved it. I learned to work with different types of people and gained some really valuable leadership experience.
• Poor grades in college science classes. I still regret that I did badly in my science classes. I think I was immature and was also too involved in other activities and didn’t have the focus I needed to do well. I had a 3.4 undergraduate GPA.
• Teaching and tutoring Jose, a child from Honduras. In a way, meeting Jose in a college tutoring program brought my Guatemala experience to my home. Jose struggled academically, and his parents were immigrants and spoke only Spanish, so they had their own challenges. I tried to help Jose as much as I could. I saw that because he lacked resources, he was at a tremendous disadvantage.
• Volunteering at Excellent Medical Center. Shadowing physicians at the medical center gave me a really broad view of medicine. I learned about different specialties, met many different patients, and saw both great and not-so-great physician role models. Counselor at Ronald McDonald House. Working with sick kids made me appreciate my health. I tried to make them happy and was so impressed with their resilience. It made me realize that good health is everything.
• Oncology research. Understanding what happens behind the scenes in research was fascinating. Not only did I gain some valuable research experience, but I learned how research is done.
• Peer health counselor. Communicating with my peers about really important medical tests gave me an idea of the tremendous responsibility that doctors have. I also learned that it is important to be sensitive, to listen, and to be open-minded when working with others.
• Clinical Summer Program. This gave me an entirely new view of medicine. I worked with the forensics department, and visiting scenes of deaths was entirely new to me. This experience added a completely new dimension to my understanding of medicine and how illness and death affect loved ones.
• Emergency department internship. Here I learned so much about how things worked in the hospital. I realized how important it was that people who worked in the clinical department were involved in creating hospital policies. This made me understand, in practical terms, how an MPH would give me the foundation to make even more change in the future.
• Master’s in public health. I decided to get an MPH for two reasons. First of all, I knew my undergraduate science GPA was an issue so I figured that graduate level courses in which I performed well would boost my record. I don’t think I will write this on my application, but I also thought the degree would give me other skills if I didn’t get into medical school, and I knew it would also give me something on which I could build during medical school and in my career since I was interested in policy work.

As you can see from Amy’s personal inventory list, she has many accomplishments that are important to her and influenced her path. The most influential personal experience that motivated her to practice medicine was her mother’s career as a practicing physician, but Amy was also motivated by watching her mother’s career evolve. Even though the death of her grandmother was devastating for Amy, she did not consider this experience especially influential in her choice to attend medical school so she didn’t write about it in her personal statement.

Amy wrote an experience-based personal statement, rich with anecdotes and detailed descriptions, to illustrate the evolution of her interest in medicine and how this motivated her to also earn a master’s in public health.

Amy’s  Medical School Personal Statement  Example:

She was sprawled across the floor of her apartment. Scattered trash, decaying food, alcohol bottles, medication vials, and cigarette butts covered the floor. I had just graduated from college, and this was my first day on rotation with the forensic pathology department as a Summer Scholar, one of my most valuable activities on the path to medical school. As the coroner deputy scanned the scene for clues to what caused this woman’s death, I saw her distraught husband. I did not know what to say other than “I am so sorry.” I listened intently as he repeated the same stories about his wife and his dismay that he never got to say goodbye. The next day, alongside the coroner as he performed the autopsy, I could not stop thinking about the grieving man.

Discerning a cause of death was not something I had previously associated with the practice of medicine. As a child, I often spent Saturday mornings with my mother, a surgeon, as she rounded on patients. I witnessed the results of her actions, as she provided her patients a renewed chance at life. I grew to honor and respect my mother’s profession. Witnessing the immense gratitude of her patients and their families, I quickly came to admire the impact she was able to make in the lives of her patients and their loved ones.

I knew I wanted to pursue a career in medicine as my mother had, and throughout high school and college I sought out clinical, research, and volunteer opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of medicine. After volunteering with cancer survivors at Camp Ronald McDonald, I was inspired to further understand this disease. Through my oncology research, I learned about therapeutic processes for treatment development. Further, following my experience administering HIV tests, I completed research on point-of-care HIV testing, to be instituted throughout 26 hospitals and clinics. I realized that research often served as a basis for change in policy and medical practice and sought out opportunities to learn more about both.

All of my medically related experiences demonstrated that people who were ‘behind the scenes’ and had limited or no clinical background made many of the decisions in health care. Witnessing the evolution of my mother’s career further underscored the impact of policy change on the practice of medicine. In particular, the limits legislation imposed on the care she could provide influenced my perspective and future goals. Patients whom my mother had successfully treated for more than a decade, and with whom she had long-standing, trusting relationships, were no longer able to see her, because of policy coverage changes. Some patients, frustrated by these limitations, simply stopped seeking the care they needed. As a senior in college, I wanted to understand how policy transformations came about and gain the tools I would need to help effect administrative and policy changes in the future as a physician. It was with this goal in mind that I decided to complete a master’s in public health program before applying to medical school.

As an MPH candidate, I am gaining insight into the theories and practices behind the complex interconnections of the healthcare system; I am learning about economics, operations, management, ethics, policy, finance, and technology and how these entities converge to impact delivery of care. A holistic understanding of this diverse, highly competitive, market-driven system will allow me, as a clinician, to find solutions to policy, public health, and administration issues. I believe that change can be more effective if those who actually practice medicine also decide where improvements need to be made.

For example, as the sole intern for the emergency department at County Medical Center, I worked to increase efficiency in the ED by evaluating and mapping patient flow. I tracked patients from point of entry to point of discharge and found that the discharge process took up nearly 35% of patients’ time. By analyzing the reasons for this situation, in collaboration with nurses and physicians who worked in the ED and had an intimate understanding of what took place in the clinical area, I was able to make practical recommendations to decrease throughput time. The medical center has already implemented these suggestions, resulting in decreased length of stays. This example illustrates the benefit of having clinicians who work ‘behind the scenes’ establish policies and procedures, impacting operational change and improving patient care. I will also apply what I have learned through this project as the business development intern at Another Local Medical Center this summer, where I will assist in strategic planning, financial analysis, and program reviews for various clinical departments.

Through my mother’s career and my own medical experiences, I have become aware of the need for clinician administrators and policymakers. My primary goal as a physician will be to care for patients, but with the knowledge and experience I have gained through my MPH, I also hope to effect positive public policy and administrative changes.

Paragraphs 1 and 2: Amy started her personal statement by illustrating a powerful experience she had when she realized that medical caregivers often feel impotent, and how this contrasted with her understanding of medicine as a little girl going with her mother to work. Recognition of this intense contrast also highlights her maturity.

P-3: She then “lists” a few experiences that were important to her.

Paragraph 4: Amy describes the commonality in some of her experiences and how her observations were substantiated by watching the evolution of her mother’s practice. She then explains how this motivated her to earn an MPH so she could create change more effectively as a physician than as a layman.

P-5: Next, she explains how her graduate degree is helping her to better understand the “issues in medicine” that she observed.

Paragraph 6: Then, an exceptional accomplishment is described, highlighting what she has learned and how she has applied it.

P-7: Finally, she effectively concludes her personal statement and summarizes the major topics addressed in her essay.

As you can see, her statement has excellent flow, is captivating and unusual, and illustrates her understanding of, and commitment to, medicine. Throughout her application entries and statement, she exhibits the personal competencies, characteristics, and qualities that medical school admissions officers are seeking. Her application also has broad appeal; reviewers who are focused on research, cultural awareness, working with the underserved, health administration and policy, teaching, or clinical medicine would all find it of interest.

Osteopathic Medical School Personal Statement

Example and Analysis #2

Medical School Personal Statement Example Background:  This is a nontraditional applicant who applied to osteopathic medical schools. With a 500 and a 504 on the  MCAT , he needed to showcase how his former career and what he learned through his work made him an asset. He also needed to convey why osteopathic medicine was an ideal fit for him. The student does an excellent job illustrating his commitment to medicine and explaining why and how he made the well-informed decision to leave his former career to pursue a career in osteopathic medicine.

What’s Good About It:  A nontraditional student with a former career, this applicant does a great job outlining how and why he decided to pursue a career in medicine. Clearly dedicated to service, he also does a great job making it clear he is a good fit for osteopathic medical school and understands this distinctions of osteopathic practice.. 

Working as a police officer, one comes to expect the unexpected, but sometimes, when the unexpected happens, one can’t help but be surprised. In November 20XX, I had been a police officer for two years when my partner and I happened to be nearby when a man had a cardiac emergency in Einstein Bagels. Entering the restaurant, I was caught off guard by the lifeless figure on the floor, surrounded by spilled food. Time paused as my partner and I began performing CPR, and my heart raced as I watched color return to the man’s pale face.

Luckily, paramedics arrived within minutes to transport him to a local hospital. Later, I watched as the family thanked the doctors who gave their loved one a renewed chance at life. That day, in the “unexpected,” I confirmed that I wanted to become a physician, something that had attracted me since childhood.

I have always been enthralled by the science of medicine and eager to help those in need but, due to life events, my path to achieving this dream has been long. My journey began following high school when I joined the U.S. Army. I was immature and needed structure, and I knew the military was an opportunity to pursue my medical ambitions. I trained as a combat medic and requested work in an emergency room of an army hospital. At the hospital, I started IVs, ran EKGs, collected vital signs, and assisted with codes. I loved every minute as I was directly involved in patient care and observed physicians methodically investigating their patients’ signs and symptoms until they reached a diagnosis. Even when dealing with difficult patients, the physicians I worked with maintained composure, showing patience and understanding while educating patients about their diseases. I observed physicians not only as clinicians but also as teachers. As a medic, I learned that I loved working with patients and being part of the healthcare team, and I gained an understanding of acute care and hospital operations.

Following my discharge in 20XX, I transferred to an army reserve hospital and continued as a combat medic until 20XX. Working as a medic at several hospitals and clinics in the area, I was exposed to osteopathic medicine and the whole body approach to patient care. I was influenced by the D.O.s’ hands-on treatment and their use of manipulative medicine as a form of therapy. I learned that the body cannot function properly if there is dysfunction in the musculoskeletal system.

In 20XX, I became a police officer to support myself as I finished my undergraduate degree and premed courses. While working the streets, I continued my patient care experiences by being the first to care for victims of gunshot wounds, stab wounds, car accidents, and other medical emergencies. In addition, I investigated many unknown causes of death with the medical examiner’s office. I often found signs of drug and alcohol abuse and learned the dangers and power of addiction. In 20XX, I finished my undergraduate degree in education and in 20XX, I completed my premed courses.

Wanting to learn more about primary care medicine, in 20XX I volunteered at a community health clinic that treats underserved populations. Shadowing a family physician, I learned about the physical exam as I looked into ears and listened to the hearts and lungs of patients with her guidance. I paid close attention as she expressed the need for more PCPs and the important roles they play in preventing disease and reducing ER visits by treating and educating patients early in the disease process. This was evident as numerous patients were treated for high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and diabetes, all conditions that can be resolved or improved by lifestyle changes. I learned that these changes are not always easy for many in underserved populations as healthier food is often more expensive and sometimes money for prescriptions is not available. This experience opened my eyes to the challenges of being a physician in an underserved area.

The idea of disease prevention stayed with me as I thought about the man who needed CPR. Could early detection and education about heart disease have prevented his “unexpected” cardiac event? My experiences in health care and law enforcement have confirmed my desire to be an osteopathic physician and to treat the patients of the local area. I want to eliminate as many medical surprises as I can.

Texas Medical School Personal Statement Example and Analysis #3

Medical School Personal Statement Example Background:  This applicant, who grew up with modest means, should be an inspiration to us all. Rather than allowing limited resources to stand in his way, he took advantage of everything that was available to him. He commuted to college from home and had a part-time job so he was stretched thin, and his initial college performance suffered. However, he worked hard and his grades improved. Most medical school admissions committees seek out applicants like this because, by overcoming adversity and succeeding with limited resources, they demonstrate exceptional perseverance, maturity, and dedication. His accomplishments are, by themselves, impressive and he does an outstanding job of detailing his path, challenges, and commitment to medicine. He received multiple acceptances to top medical schools and was offered scholarships.

What’s Good About It:  This student does a great job opening his personal statement with a beautifully written introduction that immediately takes the reader to Central America. He then explains his path, why he did poorly early in college, and goes on to discuss his academic interests and pursuits. He is also clearly invested in research and articulates that he is intellectually curious, motivated, hard working, compassionate and committed to a career in medicine by explaining his experiences using interesting language and details. This is an intriguing statement that makes clear the applicant is worthy of an interview invitation. Finally, the student expresses his interest in attending medical school in Texas.

They were learning the basics of carpentry and agriculture. The air was muggy and hot, but these young boys seemed unaffected, though I and my fellow college students sweated and often complained. As time passed, I started to have a greater appreciation for the challenges these boys faced. These orphans, whom I met and trained in rural Central America as a member of The Project, had little. They dreamed of using these basic skills to earn a living wage. Abandoned by their families, they knew this was their only opportunity to re-enter society as self- sufficient individuals. I stood by them in the fields and tutored them after class. And while I tried my best to instill in them a strong work ethic, it was the boys who instilled in me a desire to help those in need. They gave me a new perspective on my decision to become a doctor.

I don’t know exactly when I decided to become a physician; I have had this goal for a long time. I grew up in the inner city of A City, in Texas and attended magnet schools. My family knew little about higher education, and I learned to seek out my own opportunities and advice. I attended The University with the goal of gaining admission to medical school. When I started college, I lacked the maturity to focus on academics and performed poorly. Then I traveled to Central America. Since I was one of the few students who spoke Spanish, many of the boys felt comfortable talking with me. They saw me as a role model.

The boys worked hard so that they could learn trades that would help them to be productive members of society. It was then I realized that my grandparents, who immigrated to the US so I would have access to greater opportunities, had done the same. I felt like I was wasting what they had sacrificed for me. When I returned to University in the fall, I made academics my priority and committed myself to learn more about medicine.

Through my major in neuroscience, I strengthened my understanding of how we perceive and experience life. In systems neurobiology, I learned the physiology of the nervous system. Teaching everything from basic neural circuits to complex sensory pathways, Professor X provided me with the knowledge necessary to conduct research in Parkinson’s disease. My research focused on the ability of antioxidants to prevent the onset of Parkinson’s, and while my project was only a pilot study at the time, Professor X encouraged me to present it at the National Research Conference. During my senior year, I developed the study into a formal research project, recruiting the help of professors of statistics and biochemistry.

Working at the School of Medicine reinforced my analytical skills. I spent my summer in the department of emergency medicine, working with the department chair, Dr. Excellent. Through Dr. Excellent’s mentorship, I participated in a retrospective study analyzing patient charts to determine the efficacy of D-dimer assays in predicting blood clots. The direct clinical relevance of my research strengthened my commitment and motivated my decision to seek out more clinical research opportunities.

A growing awareness of the role of human compassion in healing has also influenced my choice to pursue a career in medicine. It is something no animal model or cell culture can ever duplicate or rival. Working in clinical research has allowed me to see the selflessness of many physicians and patients and their mutual desire to help others. As a research study assistant in the department of surgery, I educate and enroll patients in clinical trials. One such study examines the role of pre-operative substance administration in tumor progression. Patients enrolled in this study underwent six weeks of therapy before having the affected organ surgically excised. Observing how patients were willing to participate in this research to benefit others helped me understand the resiliency of the human spirit.

Working in clinical trials has enabled me to further explore my passion for science, while helping others. Through my undergraduate coursework and participation in volunteer groups I have had many opportunities to solidify my goal to become a physician. As I am working, I sometimes think about my second summer in Central America. I recall how one day, after I had turned countless rows of soil in scorching heat, one of the boys told me that I was a trabajador verdadero—a true worker. I paused as I realized the significance of this comment. While the boy may not have been able to articulate it, he knew I could identify with him. What the boy didn’t know, however, was that had my grandparents not decided to immigrate to the US, I would not have the great privilege of seizing opportunities in this country and writing this essay today. I look forward to the next step of my education and hope to return home to Texas where I look forward to serving the communities I call home.

Final Thoughts

Medical school personal statement help & consulting.

If all this information has you staring at your screen like a deer in the headlights, you’re not alone. Writing a superb medical school personal statement can be a daunting task, and many applicants find it difficult to get started writing, or to express everything they want to say succinctly. That’s where MedEdits can help. You don’t have to have the best writing skills to compose a stand-out statement. From personal-statement editing alone to comprehensive packages for all your medical school application needs, we offer extensive support and expertise developed from working with thousands of successful medical school applicants. We can’t promise applying to medical school will be stress-free, but most clients tell us it’s a huge relief not to have to go it alone.

MedEdits offers personal statement consulting and editing. Our goal when working with students is to draw out what makes each student distinctive. How do we do this? We will explore your background and upbringing, interests and ideals as well as your accomplishments and activities. By helping you identify the most distinguishing aspects of who you are, you will then be able to compose an authentic and genuine personal statement in your own voice to capture the admissions committee’s attention so you are invited for a medical school interview. Our unique brainstorming methodology has helped hundreds of aspiring premeds gain acceptance to medical school.

JESSICA FREEDMAN, M.D., is a former faculty member and admissions committee member at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is the founder and chair of MedEdits Medical Admissions and author of the MedEdits Guide to Medical Admissions and The Medical School Interview which you can find on  Amazon . Follow Dr. Freedman and MedEdits on Facebook and  YouTube.

• Website Disclaimer
• Terms and Conditions
• MedEdits Privacy Policy

• (888) 381-9509
• [email protected]
• Book a Meeting
• student login
• Student Login
• Our Services
• Our Story How it started
• Our Team Meet Our Advisors & Tutors
• Our Services How we can help you
• Our Difference Learn why we stand out
• Success Stories & Testimonials Hear the stories
• For Parents Learn why you should trust us
• In the News Read Our Stories
• Frequently Asked Questions Find answers
• MCAT Tutoring One-on-One Personalized Help
• MCAT Go An Audio Learning Experience
• MCAT Practice Exams Boost Your Score
• MCAT Prep App Videos, Flashcards & Q-Bank
• MCAT CARS Mastery Top-Rated CARS Video Course
• Pre-Med Coach Early High School Roadmap Planning
• College Admissions 11th & 12th Grade Pre-Med Consulting
• Direct Med Advising BS/MD Application Support
• Interview Preparation BS/MD Candidates
• Pre-Med Coach Pre-Application Development
• Application Advising Med School Admissions Support
• Personal Statement Editing Refine Your Narrative
• AMCAS Editing Application Editing
• Secondary Editing Secondary Application Editing
• Interview Preparation Realistic Practice
• CASPer Preparation Simulation & Coaching
• Ontario Application Support OMSAS Application
• Residency Advising Complete Match Support
• Residency Interview Preparation
• ERAS Personal Statement Refine Your Story
• USMLE STEP 1 Pass Your First Step
• Shelf Exams Ace your rotations
• USMLE STEP 2 Shine on your boards
• USMLE STEP 3 Conquer your final hurdle
• COMLEX LEVEL 1 and 2 Score higher
• Institutional Partners Enhance your student offering
• Organizational Partners Provide value to your students
• For High School Students Plan Your Future
• For MCAT Preparation Boost Your Score
• For Med School Admissions Secure Your Acceptance
• For Board Exam Prep Sharpen Critical Knowledge
• For Residency Matching Secure Preferred Placement
• Extracurricular Activities Apply now!
• Guidebooks Learn at Your Own Pace

How to Successfully Reapply to Medical School and Get a “Yes!”

Posted in: Applying to Medical School

Table of Contents

Didn’t get into med school the first time? There’s still hope! It’s normal to have to reapply — after all, medical school acceptance rates are under 50% on average. About 25% of applicants every year are reapplicants. 

I’m Dr. Renee Marinelli, and I’ve helped hundreds of pre-meds make it into medical school, including second-time applicants. And guess what? I myself didn’t get in the first time! Below, I cover everything you need to know about applying for a second time, plus some handy tips on successfully reapplying. 

Want 1-on-1 support to ensure you get into medical school? Team up with a physician and former admissions committee member to optimize your application!

Does it look bad to reapply.

No, it is not frowned upon to reapply to most schools as long as you can demonstrate significant growth on your new application . I recommend reapplying to old schools you still like as well as new schools you didn’t apply to last cycle.

Admissions committees will know you’re a reapplicant, and that prior rejection can make your medical education journey just a little bit harder.

Admissions boards may automatically think reapplicants failed to get in the first time for some reason that persists, so you may have to fight against that thought process. I’ve got some great tips for just this problem.

Use your reapplication as an asset. Mention in your personal statement — perhaps even in the Work & Activities section — that you’re a reapplicant and what is different about you from a year or more ago. Demonstrate how you’ve grown and developed yourself.

Watch This Webinar: Reapplying to Medical School — Getting Accepted the Second Time

7 Steps to Strengthening Your Application

Reapplying typically only works if you show a significant amount of growth since you last applied. (Or if you simply submit to schools that suit you better during the application process .)

Growth can come in many forms, but I specifically recommend improving your MCAT and other test scores, your GPA if possible, and the quality of your extracurricular activities.

You may ask the AdComs who first rejected you why you were rejected and for feedback on how to improve for a future cycle. They might reveal something about your application that you didn’t realize. Although AdComs are not required to respond, their advice may be highly valuable.

1. Improve Your Test Scores

Is it worth retaking the MCAT when reapplying? Better MCAT scores go a very long way. Improving your scores on situational judgment tests like Casper or PREview can also help though not as much.

If you got below a 511 on your MCAT, retake it. I suggest trying for at least a 511 if you want a chance at getting accepted the second go around.

If you got below a 506, that’s a big red flag for even mid-tier schools. Boost your primary application by studying hard and reaching for at least a 506 for DO programs and 511 for MD programs. 

Read Next: Highest-Quality MCAT Practice Exams

Need a better MCAT score? Pair up with a 99th percentile tutor from MedSchoolCoach to boost your MCAT score by an average of 12 points!

2. consider a post-bacc.

If your GPA is under 3.5 and you’re not the greatest test-taker, post-baccalaureate programs are a great option. Post-bacc classes can not only give you more knowledge and experience, they can also boost your GPA.

I recommend you have at least a 3.5 GPA when reapplying to med school, preferably higher than 3.6.

3. Seek New Experiences

In order to develop yourself as a med school candidate, you can seek new experiences that will bolster your application the second time around.

This step is based heavily on your personal circumstances. For some of my clients, I suggest more clinical experience. For others, I tell them to seek opportunities for them to demonstrate leadership or advocacy. Some may benefit from volunteering,internships, and research, too.

For your new application, it’s fine to use some of the same extracurriculars for Work & Activities as you used on your first application, but I think it’s best to show some new experiences, including new “most meaningful activities.”

You also need to understand where you may be lacking in the AAMC pre-med competencies . Then you can study those particular areas and seek out experiences that demonstrate growth in those areas. The 17 AAMC pre-med competencies are:

• Commitment to Learning and Growth
• Cultural Awareness
• Cultural Humility
• Empathy and Compassion
• Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others
• Interpersonal Skills
• Oral Communication
• Reliability and Dependability
• Resilience and Adaptability
• Service Orientation
• Teamwork and Collaboration
• Human Behavior
• Living Systems
• Critical Thinking
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Scientific Inquiry
• Written Communication

4. Write a New Personal Statement

Do I need to rewrite my personal statement if I reapply? A brand-new personal statement is the way to go. The personal statement is where you can show the most improvement and explicitly speak about how you’ve grown over the past year. Using the same story or just repeating the exact text is a major red flag for programs that you haven’t grown or have nothing new to share.

The process of getting rejected and trying again is a pretty significant growth experience. Use this unique experience to connect with the admissions board, demonstrate self-improvement and determination, and stand out from the crowd.

Read More: Get the Most Out of Your Personal Statement

5. Request New Letters of Recommendation

Do I need new letters of recommendation when reapplying? New LORs can demonstrate growth, even if they’re from the same person as last year. The writer should be a witness to what you’ve done to improve since your previous application. The LOR writer should also be able to express this improvement eloquently.

You may use some of the same letter writers, but generally, it’s a good idea to get new letters — unless you explicitly got rejected due to academic scores alone. For example, if your MCAT was a 501 and now you have a 511, and your original LORs were already incredibly strong, you may be able to reuse the first batch.

Give your letter writers plenty of time to write their LORs, and don’t feel like a bother if you have to send reminders — sending a few reminders is normal.

6. Intentionally Determine Your School List

You may have been rejected for overshooting your school list. Get your MSC score to understand which schools make the most sense for your situation and consider applying where you may not have before.

If you only considered MD programs before, consider expanding to DO programs , which require lower average GPAs and MCAT scores for matriculants. For a small number of students, especially those who struggle to improve test scores and GPA after their first application cycle, it might be worth considering one of the best Caribbean medical schools .

MedSchoolCoach can help you curate your school list for the best acceptance rate without wasting your time. Use this free Med School Explorer database of all the US medical programs you can build your list with.

Build a strategic list of medical schools with Med School Explorer. View each school’s average GPA, MCAT, interview format, and more!

7. apply early.

Was your original application submitted late in the summer? That may be one reason you were rejected. AMCAS and AACOMAS should be submitted in June if at all possible. Many schools technically allow you to submit until October or November, but I do not advise waiting till the last minute.

A common reason given by medical school reapplicants who eventually got accepted is that they were ill-prepared on the first cycle. Don’t find yourself unprepared for the rigorous application process; give yourself plenty of time to study for the MCAT, improve your experiences, and apply as early as you can.

Should You Invest in Admissions Consulting?

If you’re reapplying after a rejection, you should definitely invest in comprehensive admissions consulting. Students who use MedSchoolCoach’s consulting services DOUBLE their chances at getting accepted, which is all the more important when you consider the costs of another rejected application.

For each year you apply without being accepted, you are likely to spend at least a few thousand dollars, if not much more, on reapplying. Plus, you’ll be losing a year of income potential as a future physician, which amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars!

Yes, it’s true – admissions consulting costs money. But if it allows you to start earning more, faster, it may wind up being the best investment you ever make.

If you aren’t sure why you were rejected the first time — perhaps you had pretty good test scores and GPA but still didn’t get in — then admissions counseling is a slam dunk.

Check out MedSchoolCoach’s comprehensive consulting services that can 2X your chances of acceptance:

• Spotting and addressing gaps in your application
• School list development
• Recommendations for LoR writers and requests
• Personal statement development and editing
• Work & Activities development
• Secondary essay brainstorming and editing
• Interview skills prep, including mock interviews

Check out our Application Advising Packages ! We help over 1,000 people like you every year get into medical school .

How to Know if Med School Isn’t the Right Path for You

At some point, it may be time to throw in the towel. There’s no shame in changing course if it’s the right move for your future.

As much as you may want to follow a medical career path, here are some practical questions to help you know whether the healthcare is right for you:

• Am I okay with so much hard work?
• Am I willing to sacrifice time and energy in my 20s and 30s?
• Is my family pressuring me?
• Is my motivation primarily intrinsic or extrinsic?
• Can I be patient with my patients?
• Does my spouse or partner understand the sacrifices?
• Am I just in it for the money?
• Am I interested in science and health?
• Have I explored other careers thoroughly?
• Do I agree with the oath I have to take? 

Yes, I recommend that reapplicants alter their secondary applications. When you reapply to med school, you want to increase your chances compared to last time around in every possible way — that includes reworking your secondary essays to exhibit more competitiveness.

Should I apply to different schools?

Yes, I typically suggest applying to different schools from the ones you applied to last time, especially if you overshot programs when building your school list. However, I would not avoid schools you’ve already applied to altogether — especially if you really like the school. 

Use your previous rejection to demonstrate how you’ve overcome adversity and grown as a human. What medical schools want to see is that you’re a well-rounded student who is adaptable and always self-improving.

How long you should wait depends on a few factors, including your test scores, your GPA, your extracurriculars, your clinical experience, and your research experience.

If you have strong grades and test scores, you might reapply as soon as possible (in the next application cycle, when possible). If you need to get some more shadowing experiences or stronger extracurriculars, you might need at least a year if not more to strengthen your new application.

I would also consider how many competitive schools you applied to in the first place. If you only applied to half a dozen highly competitive institutions, you might be a stronger applicant for most other schools, just not the ones you applied to. 

First off, you probably should have applied only to schools you would have happily accepted an admissions offer from. It’s sort of a waste of time to apply to schools you’re not actually interested in.

Secondly, addressing the question, you should think carefully before rejecting an offer of acceptance in order to reapply to “better” schools. The reality is that all U.S. medical schools offering MD degrees offer similar training and opportunities for future doctors. Your chances of matching into your chosen specialty as a resident are about the same no matter which U.S. MD school you go to. For this reason, we usually recommend students take any offer they can get.

That being said, you could decline an offer and reapply next cycle if you wish. It won’t hurt your chances at any other school. I would just refrain from applying a second time around to the school whose offer you rejected. 

Most medical schools ask if you’re reapplicant in their secondary application, so if you applied to a school last cycle, that school will probably know that you’re reapplying. Some schools even ask re-applicants to write a secondary essay explaining how their candidacy has evolved, so be prepared for a question like that.

For schools you did not apply to in the first place, they may not know you’re reapplying. However, they may see when you finished your pre-med track and notice that you could have applied to med school earlier. You may also mention that you are reapplying to demonstrate growth and determination. 

DOUBLE Your Chances of Acceptance!

As somebody who has personally experienced medical school rejection , I get the disappointment. But there’s still hope! I got into medical school the second time around with some of the tips I mentioned in this article. I have used my own experiences to help thousands of pre- medical students and reapplicants make it into medical school.

Although a year can feel like an eternity, my year between getting rejected and then accepted felt like nothing in hindsight. But that year made me a better person. Use this year to grow as a human and overcome adversity. Show that growth in your next application. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. Pre-med advisors like me are here to make the admissions process easier.

Pair up with a physician admissions advisor and double your odds of acceptance. Join the 92% of MedSchoolCoach clients who get into medical school!

Renee Marinelli, MD

Dr. Marinelli has practiced family medicine, served on the University of California Admissions Committee, and has helped hundreds of students get into medical school. She spearheads a team of physician advisors who guide MedSchoolCoach students.

See How We Can Help

Search for:, recent posts, medschoolcoach, recent blog posts.

How to Choose Where to Apply to Medical School

Table of Contents Choosing a medical school doesn’t have to be difficult. There are a lot of options, but not[...]

May 13, 2024

Ivy League School Acceptance Rates

Ivy League Schools are incredibly competitive to get into. Ivy League School acceptance rates range from under 5% at Harvard[...]

March 21, 2019

What Medical Schools Accept AP Credits?

AP Credit for Medical School Database Do Medical Schools Accept AP Credit for Pre-Requisite Classes?AP (Advanced Placement) Credits AP credit[...]

October 31, 2021

The Pre-Med Journey: What it Takes to Get into Medical School

Thinking about applying to medical school? Discover what high school students need to know about obtaining a career in medicine.

Successfully Planning for the USMLE Step 1 and 2 CK

Get ready for the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 with this free guide to study planning and resource utilization.

100 MCAT Study Tips

Taking the MCAT? These 100 tips and tricks will help you ace the MCAT.

Call us at (888) 381-9509

Call Us Now

Or, Schedule a Meeting Below

Which program are you applying to?

Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

March 30, 2022

Reapplying to Med School: Your Primary Application

The previous posts have focused on identifying problem areas in your application and offering ideas to help you address them. You might be feeling a bit fragile after such a critical review – if so, then you’re doing it right. This exercise demands that you be ruthless and identify every potential flaw. Your ego might not like it, but you’ll be happy when you have a clear roadmap to highlight your strengths and address your weaknesses.

Before beginning the next part of your assessment – and deciding whether you’re ready to reapply – it’s time to take a reality check and ask yourself:

• Did I have a competitive GPA when I first applied? If not, how have I improved it?
• Did I have a competitive MCAT score when I first applied? If not, have I retaken it and improved my score?
• Did I demonstrate my commitment to service through both clinical and non-clinical experiences on my last application? If so, has my commitment continued/expanded? If not, have I taken concrete steps to address my deficiencies?
• Did I demonstrate other qualities that are important in medicine, including scientific curiosity, leadership and teamwork skills , problem solving, etc. through my experiences? If so, has my growth continued through these same or new activities? And if not, have I pursued ways to enhance my experiences?
• Have I done my due diligence, through both shadowing healthcare professionals and personal reflection, to know that medicine is still the right career?

If you cannot answer each of these questions with a resounding “YES,” you might need to hit the brakes. Far too many reapplicants submit a similar application in the next cycle. A few get lucky, but most do not. The applicant pool doesn’t get easier from year to year; in fact, the reverse is usually true: mean GPAs tend to rise, MCAT scores go up, and more people apply almost every year. If your application was unsuccessful last year, do you really think the same one will work this time?

Nobody wants to hear that their dream of medical school needs to be put off for another year. Applicants may worry that they will “age-out” of contention, or that their MCAT scores will expire, or that other parts of their life will not permit them to study in the future. Each of these concerns is reasonable and must be a part of your own decision calculus. Nonetheless, addressing the problem areas in your application is something you can’t do overnight. Time and effort are essential if you hope to show the substantial improvement expected of reapplicants.

But let’s assume that your answers were all “yes,” that you have worked hard to substantially improve your application, and that you’ve had time to see your hard work pay off. Congratulations! You’re ready to reapply!

Now, the question becomes how you can best present yourself to the admissions committees. These last two posts in our series will look at how the admissions committee saw you, based on your interactions. Unlike the rest of your application, your written materials – your primary and secondary application, interviews and additional communications – are entirely in your hands. Did you use them to your best advantage?

The primary application 

Whether you’re a first-rate candidate or a borderline student, your primary application is how you make your first and best impression on an admissions committee. It’s here that you share what matters to you and why, how you’ve put your interests and values into action, and what unique attributes distinguish you from all the other applicants. And along the way, you want them to understand why you want to become a doctor. 

Chances are, you poured your hopes and dreams into your essays the first time around. But just as you’ve assessed the other elements of your profile, it’s important to ask whether, in your honest opinion, you’ve presented the strongest possible personal statement . While re-reading your previous essay, ask yourself:

• Does my application reflect who I am today, with the new experiences that I’ve amassed since my last application? Do my new experiences better reflect the qualities that medical schools are looking for: commitment, compassion, leadership , curiosity, critical thinking, maturity, etc.? 
• Was my personal statement enjoyable and interesting to read? Did I start with a strong lead paragraph that inspired the reader to continue? Did I tell a compelling story and support my claims with evidence, rather than just listing what I’d done? 
• Did my personal statement and activities focus on me rather than my projects, patients, or mentors? If I was reading this material about another person, would that individual come across as someone I might want as my physician?
• Were my activities varied to reflect the breadth of my passion, intellectual pursuits, and integrity? Were my meaningful experiences personal and authentic, and was their impact clear?
• Did I have anyone else review my application for content and style before submission? Was my writing free of typos or grammatical errors?
• If the admissions committee decided to review my new application alongside my previous one – which is very easy to do – would it convince them that I have substantially improved my profile for medical school? Am I showing growth since my last application?

This last question is worth unpacking. Time and again, reapplicants ask me if they need to rewrite their personal statements. Keep in mind that you are considered a reapplicant at any program selected on a previous primary application, regardless of whether or not you completed their secondary. Those schools have access to your prior application, and while it’s unlikely that they will return to it, it is always a possibility. Submitting the same personal statement and experiences suggests the applicant could be apathetic, unwilling to change, and/or unlikely to put in the hard work that medical school demands. Is this the impression that you want to present?

Letters of recommendation

Although not technically how you represent yourself, recommendation letters are another extremely important part of the application process and your challenge is to find faculty members who can write a compelling letter.

Here are some more questions to consider (and again, you want to be able to answer “yes” to each of these):

• Did you select recommenders who know you well, whether in the classroom or beyond? Did they present different areas of your life to reflect your diverse pursuits and qualities?
• Did you supply them with your CV or a list of activities so they have a better idea of your pursuits? Did you advise them of any areas that you specifically wanted them to address to balance the rest of your application?
• Did you provide each recommender with clear instructions about submitting them to the appropriate letter services?

Finally, your review should include an honest assessment of your timing in the prior application season. Although some extremely competitive applicants do manage to secure acceptances late in the season, many more are put on “hold,” wait-listed, or just rejected. Conversely, those who begin the process early tend to have much better results. Some questions to ask yourself include:

• Did you register with the AAMC and/or the AACOM when it first opened? Did you submit your application as early as possible?
• Did you line up your recommenders early? Did you follow up to make sure they sent their recommendations in a timely manner?
• Did you follow the verification process to ensure there were no issues delaying your application? Was your application verified and released to medical schools early in the season?
• Did you take the MCAT early? Were your scores available when you submitted ? Did you have your MCAT scores to guide your school selection?
• Did you return your secondary essays in a timely manner (within two weeks)?
• After an interview, did you promptly send thank you notes expressing your interest?

Answering “no” to any of these questions could signal a serious problem. If you don’t have your MCAT score for your school choices, you might apply where you aren’t competitive. If your recommenders are late getting in their letters, the admissions committee might put your entire application on hold. If you apply later in the season, you face a larger applicant pool competing for fewer interview slots and, in many cases, fewer seats in medical school.

Applying late might not be your only concern, but chances of admission decline as the season goes on. Give yourself the best shot at admission by applying as early as possible, with the strongest application possible.

This exercise demands that you be ruthless and identify every potential flaw. Your ego might not like it, but you will be grateful when you have a clear roadmap to address your weaknesses.

“Reapplying to Medical Schools: Your Primary Application” is the fifth post in our series: Medical School Reapplicant Advice: 6 Tips for Success .

Our next post looks at the rest of the hurdles in the admissions process, and how well you cleared them.

Work on your application with an admissions expert

Take advantage of Accepted’s review service to have an admissions expert review your application and provide a tailored assessment of your strengths and weaknesses.

Feedback from a reapplicant client

“I got into UVM this morning! SO thrilled about the news! Thank you so much for your support throughout this process. I am still waiting to hear back from other schools but this is such a relief!”

– From a reapplicant later accepted to Tulane and LSU

We look forward to helping you too!

Related Resources:

• How to Create a Compelling Medical School Personal Statement , a free webinar
• Ace the AMCAS Essay , a free guide
• The Best Medical School Letter of Recommendation Advice for 2022

About Us Press Room Contact Us Podcast Accepted Blog Privacy Policy Website Terms of Use Disclaimer Client Terms of Service

Accepted 1171 S. Robertson Blvd. #140 Los Angeles CA 90035 +1 (310) 815-9553 © 2022 Accepted

Win $20,000 for med school tuition from Blueprint MCAT!

Applying to Medical School & Writing Your Personal Statement

Session 381

The med school application cycle is right around the corner! Here are 10 things you need to know before applying and 8 tips for writing your personal statement.

Follow me on YouTube at premed.tv . Episode 2 of Application Renovation Season 2 just came out yesterday. It has been the most popular show on the channel that comes out on Tuesdays. Season 2 has about 14 episodes recorded. Ask Dr. Gray is released on Thursdays.

Please take advantage of all the resources available on Meded Media along with my books The Premed Playbook series .

Listen to this podcast episode with the player above,  or keep reading for the highlights and takeaway points.

[04:35] 10 Tips Before Applying to a Medical School

#1: Understand the rolling admissions and apply early.

The majority of medical schools here in the United States utilize rolling admissions. As soon as the application cycle opens up, they are reviewing applications to interview and reviewing those interviewed students for acceptance.

For schools that don’t use rolling admissions, it’s not as important to make sure everything is in earlier than other students. However, for schools that use rolling admissions, you need to understand the importance of applying earlier. Hence, it’s always stressed to apply as soon as possible.

That being said, don’t apply with a crappy application or a terrible personal statement because you rushed it. 

By applying early, it means starting earlier so you have a great personal statement and you have all your extracurriculars lined up along with your MCAT and all.

The problem with many medical schools is the lack of transparency around the importance of rolling admissions and whether or not they utilize it at their school.

My team did some research looking at over 130 medical schools and their websites. We looked for rolling admissions notes and information. Only about 30% of medical schools that use rolling admissions actually taught about rolling admissions and talked about the importance of applying early. 

[07:10] #2: Medical school application costs a lot!

It costs a lot of money to apply to medical school. The more you know right now, the more that you can be prepared for it. Check out our Application Cost Estimator .

It will give you a rough estimate on cost including MCAT prep as well and deposit for medical school acceptances, etc. Check out the Fee Assistance Program that both AAMC and AACOMAS have for their application.

[08:50] #3: Understand what the application looks like.

Understand what the application looks like and what you need to apply to medical school. You need your MCAT score. You don’t need all your prereqs done before you apply either. You just need your prereqs done before matriculating or starting medical school.

Other things you need include letters of recommendation, clinical experience, shadowing, research (if necessary), etc.

You need all these things ready to go so once the application opens up, you can submit on time.

Very important too are your personal statements, which can take a while for you to do this. You also need to complete secondary applications and secondary essays are a big part of the application.

Check out the Application Renovation Series as I break down applications so you can see what one looks like.

[10:15] #4: Picking Medical Schools to Apply To

Most students choose the medical schools they apply to based on their MCAT and GPA. But there are a thousand other factors that are much more important than MCAT and GPA. Do not pick schools based on MCAT and GPA!

Don’t put your considerations into not applying to that medical school. Understand where you want to be. Consider weather, geographic location, proximity to family, etc. Start thinking about those things.

You only need to have one school selected to apply to medical school. Then you can add more schools as you go.

[11:50] #5: Be realistic with your MCAT and GPA.

If you’re nowhere near ready and prepared and really showing that you’re academically qualified to be a successful medical student, then you probably shouldn’t apply to medical school.

Looking at the data for acceptance rates to medical school, it doesn’t look that very good. A lot of those students not getting accepted probably should not apply to medical school because their stats just don’t show that they’re going to be successful medical students.

If you’re not above a 3.0 at least science and cumulative GPA with a super-strong upward trend to show you’re academically qualified, you probably need to look into a postbac or a special master’s program or another master’s program. You have to rehabilitate your image when it comes to your academic qualifications. 

If you have a strong GPA (ex. 3.8-3.9) and have always been successful in the classroom, but for some reason you can’t do well on the MCAT, applying with a terrible MCAT and a strong GPA is not going to help you.

That GPA is not going to prove to medical schools that you’re academically qualified if your MCAT is nowhere near where they need it and want it to be. So just be careful with that as well.

 [14:00] #6: It’s okay to wait.

One extra year waiting to apply seems like a long time. But as you get older, a year is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Be more conservative when it comes to applying to medical school because it costs a lot of money. And if you apply and you’re not accepted, you have to rework a lot of your application.

That means writing a new personal statement, improving your extracurriculars, and potentially getting new letters of recommendation.

Be okay with waiting a year or two depending on how much rehab you application needs before you submit it. Don’t just throw in an application because you rushed and you feel like you need to apply now.

Now, if you choose to ignore this point or you’ve already applied and didn’t get in the first time, this leads us to the next point.

[15:30] #7: It’s okay to reapply.

It’s not like a Scarlet letter that you’re a reapplicant. Only 40% to 45% of students actually get accepted every year. So a lot of students are reapplying. Unfortunately, many students don’t reapply and just go on a different route.

Show that self-awareness and that reflection to say why you think you didn’t get in and what you’ve done to work on your application to make yourself a better applicant. Talk about those things. A lot of medical schools will ask you if you’ve applied before, what have you done in your application to improve your application.

Moreover, there’s this myth going around that it’s better to be a reapplicant. And so a lot of students are applying just for the heck of it with terrible applications. This is crap! Don’t believe that hype.

It’s not better to be a reapplicant. It’s just not bad to be a reapplicant.

[17:09] #8: Be self-aware of your activities.

Too many students with super-strong stats are not self-aware of their activities. T hey don’t have shadowing or clinical experience. They don’t have volunteer experience. They’ve focused so much on MCAT and GPA that everything else was pushed off to the side.

They just don’t have anything that proves to them that they want to be a physician. They’re not proving with their actions and time that this is something they want to do.

Do you need to take a gap year to do more shadowing? Do you need to bolster your application so when it comes to proving to the admissions committees that this is what you want, you have it on paper that you’ve done it?

[18:10] #9: Be aware of the time commitment necessary to write all of your secondary essays.

There’s a lot of time commitment and a lot of students are caught off-guard because of this. This is necessary not only with the whole application but also the secondary applications. A lot of students apply to a crazy number of schools because money was not an issue. But they don’t think on the backend, which are all secondary essays that you have to do.

Check out SecondaryApps.com that we have updated every year where you will find a database of all the prompts that medical schools ask. Typically, they don’t change their prompts every year. But if they do, please send them to us so we can update them.

You can start prewriting your secondaries whenever you want. But ideally, when you’re done with your applications in late April to early May, you can start working on your secondary applications at that point.

[20:00] #10: Talk to your pre-health office and find out about their recommendations.

Go to your pre-health office and find out how they can help you through this application process. Some pre-health offices will write committee letters. Follow the rules for them to see what’s required for them to write you a committee letter.

Unfortunately, there are committees out there that will not write students committee letters if their MCAT or GPA score is not “high” enough. Then you have to play by the rules wherever you are at. That being said, you can still get into medical school without their committee letter.

But if they do offer you one because your stats are high enough, follow their rules and jump through the hoops they have for you. They are there to help you really be a successful medical school applicant.

[22:40] 8 Tips for Writing Your Personal Statement

It’s hard to write about yourself and your journey to medical school in 5300 characters, which is what the majority of application services give you.

A great personal statement won’t probably help you overcome terrible stats and terrible MCAT score and terrible activities. But a really bad personal statement can probably keep you out of medical school even with some good stats.

[23:25] #1: Understand how long it takes to write a personal statement.

Too many students go through the application cycle in May, which is when the cycle opens. But a lot of students will wait until the application service opens up to write their personal statement. They will just write it in the box of the application.

Expect your first draft to be terrible. Put it aside and sit on it. Have a couple of drinks. Think about it and send it to someone for feedback. Come back to it and look at it with fresh eyes. Redo it all and send it all again for feedback. Put it in the drawer again and come back to it again with fresh eyes.

You’re going to go through this process over and over again until you come to your final draft. It takes many drafts to get to a really, really good personal statement.

For more help with your personal statement, grab a copy of my book The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Medical School Personal Statement .

[25:10] #2: Understand who you are and what your motivations are behind becoming a physician.

The personal statement is an essay about your journey to medical school. What experiences have you had that have led you to this knowing that you want to be a physician?

Start now and start thinking about the most memorable experiences that you’ve had and what really drove you to want to be a physician.

Start writing down things you’ve done in the past, influences that you’ve had, and mentors you’ve had to find out what you should be writing about in your personal statement.

[27:05] #3: There are three different application services to medical school.

The AMCAS is for most MD medical schools. AACOMAS is for most DO medical schools. TMDSAS covers the public MD and DO schools in Texas.

There are three different application services with three different personal statements. 

The Texas application service has a character count of 5000, this is 300 characters less. You’re going to have to tweak your personal statement if you’re applying to both AMCAS or AACOMAS and TMDSAS.

[28:35]  Should you write a DO-specific personal statement?

No. Especially with the AACOMAS changing the character count for 2019, they’re probably not expecting big changes between your MD personal statement and your DO personal statement.

For the DO personal statement, you’re still writing why you want to be a doctor, not why you want to be an osteopathic physician? You can explain this in your secondary applications later on. You can talk about what motivates you to be an osteopathic physician.

**If you are only applying to DO schools, then you can tweak it to be a more DO-specific personal statement. 

But the caveat to this is don’t just write “osteopathic physician” everywhere you would just write “physician.” You need to really show the differences and your experiences with osteopathic medicine to make it a DO-specific personal statement.

[30:06] #5: It’s not a creative writing piece.

I’ve seen “creative writing” personal statements and 99% of them miss the mark of what their goal is. The goal is to show the reader why you want to be a physician. 

Sometimes, you can still get into medical school in spite of a bad personal statement. But it’s not a creative writing piece.

[30:50] #6: It’s not a sales letter.

It’s not an argumentative paper on why you think you’re going to be an amazing physician. Your job is not to show all of the things you’ve done and how they correlate so well with being a physician. 

You may have shadowed. You may have clinical experience and know what a hospital smells like. But until you have patients under your watch, you have no idea what it’s like to be a physician. So don’t try to claim that you do.

Don’t try to compare what you’ve done in the past and what you’re doing now to what you’re going to do in the future. Don’t try to show them that you’re going to be an amazing physician.

[31:55] #7: There’s nothing unique about you.

There’s a common piece of advice going around to find what’s unique about you and write about that. And I personally think this is crap. It’s not true. There’s nothing unique about you.

What is unique about you is your viewpoint and your story behind your experiences. You’re not going to find unique experiences. Otherwise, when you tell them about what’s unique about you, you end up selling yourself which brings us back to the point before this.

[33:15] #8: Don’t worry about being cliché.

Write about your journey to being a physician. An admissions committee member wants to understand why you want to be a physician. So write about that.

It’s very common to have a very similar story to many other students who are on this journey with you. That doesn’t mean you go out and try to be completely different and write an essay that is completely off the wall.

The personal statement is a very powerful essay on your journey to wanting to be a physician. Don’t screw it up by trying to get too creative because you think your journey is either too common, too cliché, or too boring.

Talk about your journey. Show everything you’ve been through and really let that leader understand your motivations for wanting to be a physician.

Meded Media

AAMC Fee Assistance Program

AACOMAS Fee Assistance Program

Application Renovation Series

Ask Dr. Gray

SecondaryApps.com

The Premed Playbook series

SEARCH SITE

LISTEN FOR FREE

RECENT POSTS

Navigating Challenges in the Premed Life on the Way to Hopkins

Inside the Canadian Medical School Admissions Journey

BSMD Bust? Sujay talks about his Pivot and Success witih FlexMed

© Medical School Headquarters - All Rights Reserved. | Affiliate Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Website by MAP

Username or email  *

Password  *

Forgotten password?

info@themedicportal.com

• Reapplying To Medical School

If you didn't get into Medical School this year, you might be able to reapply for next year. Here's everything you need to know about reapplying for Medicine.

Reapplying For Medicine

• Find out which medical schools accept reapplications
• Discover how to reapply for Medicine
• Tips to improve your application

Jump to Section

• Deciding on Medicine
• Work Experience
• Medical School Teaching Styles
• Traditional Medicine Courses
• Integrated Medicine Courses
• Oxbridge Medicine
• Oxford vs Cambridge Medicine
• Foundation Medicine Courses
• Medicine Entry Requirements
• Which Medical Schools Make Contextual Offers?
• Minimum Age Requirements
• Comparison Tool
• GCSE Requirements
• A-Level Requirements

Mitigating Circumstances: What if I Fail My Exams?

• A Level Resit Policies
• Medical School Rankings 2024
• Intercalated Degree
• School by School
• Personal Statement
• Interview Guide
• Interview Questions
• NHS Hot Topics
• Medical Ethics
• Graduate Entry
• Studying Abroad
• Study Medicine Abroad In Europe
• Studying Abroad in the USA
• Study Abroad in Ireland
• Study Medicine In The Caribbean
• Study Medicine in Australia
• Study Abroad in Hong Kong
• How To Survive Your First Year Of Med School
• Science Hot Topics
• Veterinary Medicine
• Allied Health
• Physician Associate
• The NHS Guide
• Parents’ Guide

This guide outlines the medical schools that accept reapplications and the steps you should follow to reapply – plus tips to help you improve your application.

Where Can I Reapply?

Certain universities allow candidates to reapply for Medicine if they were unsuccessful previously. This table lists what the university websites currently say about reapplying, where details are available. For the most accurate, up-to-date information, you should always contact the medical school directly and check with them.

Apply for Swansea’s Graduate Entry Medicine programme!

Swansea’s Graduate Entry Medicine programme is open to graduates of any discipline from the UK, EU or overseas.

How Do I Reapply For Medicine?

If you’ve applied to medical school before, you still need to register with UCAS again. The username and password that you previously used won’t work, so you’ll need to create a new account.

The rest of the application process is the same – you need to sit the UCAT (your score from last year won’t count), submit a personal statement and select your medical school choices . When making your choices, double-check which Medical Schools allow reapplications, because you don’t want to waste an application choice!

Don’t forget to update your personal statement from last year, e.g. with any new work experience or volunteering experience you now have and with information on how you have made the most of your gap year.

If you’re resitting any A-Levels, remember to include your new predicted A-Level grades in your application – and only apply to medical schools which will accept your A-Level resits .

Turn Interviews into Offers

Get the most popular interview prep, trusted by 1000s every year

How Can I Improve My Application This Time?

If you didn’t get into med school last time, you’ll naturally want to improve your application and boost your chances of getting in this time. Some universities specifically ask that reapplicants show new evidence of improvement in their application.

Ways of improving your application could include:

Resit your A-levels

If you were disappointed with your A-Level results, you might want to resit them. With some subjects, you might even have the option to only retake specific units. You could also choose to revise independently, without going back to lessons, and sit the exam at your school in the summer.

Speak to your teachers about which option is best for you, considering your grades – and make sure you check medical school A-Level resit policies, because some might not consider your application if you are resitting.

Improve your work experience

Getting more work experience is a great way to make the most of your gap year, add more to your personal statement and strengthen your application. The admissions team want to see that you’re eager to study Medicine and wants to make sure you understand what it means to be a doctor.

You could also consider a Medicine summer school , which will provide you with placements and practical experience.

Do extra prep for the UCAT

If you aren’t studying for all of your A-Levels this year, you should have some more time to prepare for admissions tests. Make the most of this time to maximise your UCAT prep and try to boost your score!

Practise for interviews

Start your interview prep early (if you get an invite, you might find you only have a small window to get ready) and familiarise yourself with common interview questions and the NHS hot topics which often come up. You’ll have to improve your interview skills to stand out amongst a large pool of applicants.

Alternative Options

Finally, if reapplying to Medicine doesn’t seem to be a viable option anymore or if you’re unsuccessful on the second attempt, you can consider existing alternatives.

Explore Related Healthcare Programs

If you’re still passionate for healthcare, you may wish to explore related programs such as Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacology, Nursing, or Physiotherapy. These programs offer valuable knowledge and skills that can lead to rewarding careers in the healthcare field.

Consider Medicine Programs Abroad

Another option is to explore studying Medicine in other countries. Many countries offer medical programs taught in English, and some may have different admission requirements or more available spots for international students.

Look Into Graduate Entry Medicine Programs

Some UK universities offer Graduate Entry Medicine program s, which are designed for students who have already completed a Bachelor’s degree in a related field. Students can pursue a relevant undergraduate degree and then apply for these programs.

FAQ: Reapplying To Medical School

Can you reapply to medical school uk.

Yes, most UK medical school allow you to reapply without issues. Note that some schools, however, do not accept reapplications f a student was rejected after an interview. Refer to the table above for details on each individual UK medical school.

How many times can you apply for Medicine?

Generally, there is no limit on the number of times you can reapply to study Medicine. However, dedicating multiple years of your life to reapplications, tests and preparations may negatively impact your professional and personal development, so set a personal ‘limit’ for yourself and stick to it.

Can I re-use my admissions test results?

No, none of your previous admissions test results, such as the UCAT, would be valid (except for school qualifications like A-levels, GCSEs, IB, etc.) You will need to resit the required tests. However, there are some qualifications that are valid for multiple years (for example, IELTs for foreign students), so make sure to check how long your results are valid for.

Can I reapply to medical school after dropping out?

It is extremely unlikely for a medical school to consider someone who had studied Medicine in the past but failed to complete the course. In case of struggles during the programme, it’s recommended to temporarily suspend studies, extend your time limit or transfer to another school instead of fully dropping out (that is, if you still intend to do Medicine in the future).

Do medical schools accept gap years?

Yes, many medical school accept gap year students, especially if you spent that time developing your skills and growing your interest in Medicine (which you should typically be able to demonstrate).

Application Support

UCAS Application Packages

Boost your Medicine application with specialist support for navigating UCAS - and save 15% when you book a package!

Personal Statement Review

Get your Personal Statement reviewed by a Medical School Admissions Tutor or high-flying medic. You'll receive detailed feedback in just a few days - with clear action points on how to improve.

Personal Statement Tutoring

Impress Admissions Tutors at top Medical Schools, avoid common mistakes and make your Personal Statement shine with tutoring.

Join Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list for weekly updates and tips on how to get into Medicine.

Medical School A-Level Resit Policies

Loading More Content

Get the Reddit app

Reddit's home for wholesome discussion related to pre-medical studies.

Reapplying: How much should I change my personal statement?

I have read that you should certainly update your personal statement if you are reapplying to reflect any progress you have made or changes in your life since you last applied. I definitely want to do this, and am actively reading (and re-reading) my personal statement to highlight what I have done in the last year, but I feel like my personal statement is heavily focused on WHY I want to become a physician and what motivated me towards this career, which has not changed.

Reapplicants: what changes are you making to your personal statement?

EDIT: if anyone is interested in looking over my statement, I would be very grateful!

By continuing, you agree to our User Agreement and acknowledge that you understand the Privacy Policy .

Enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app

You’ve set up two-factor authentication for this account.

Enter a 6-digit backup code

Create your username and password.

Reddit is anonymous, so your username is what you’ll go by here. Choose wisely—because once you get a name, you can’t change it.

Reset your password

Enter your email address or username and we’ll send you a link to reset your password

Check your inbox

An email with a link to reset your password was sent to the email address associated with your account

Choose a Reddit account to continue

Article Categories

Book categories, collections.

• Body, Mind, & Spirit Articles
• Medical Articles
• Medical School Articles

Revise a Personal Statement for Your Medical School Reapplication

Getting into medical school for dummies.

Sign up for the Dummies Beta Program to try Dummies' newest way to learn.

If you reapply to medical school, be sure to revise your personal statement. Do not reuse your previous personal statement; as a reapplicant to medical school, you really need to differentiate your current application from the previous one as much as you can. Some medical schools keep previous applications on file and compare the old and current applications.

When revising a personal statement, you don’t have to do away with all the material from your original version. For example, if your previous statement discusses an early experience you had within the medical field that inspired you to pursue the profession, you can still mention that activity in your new version.

However, you should also do a significant amount of fresh writing and emphasize your achievements and growth since the last time you applied, discussing how they’ve further motivated or prepared you for a medical career.

Because the opening and closing of a piece of writing make the greatest impact on a reader, revamping those sections for your new personal statement is especially important. A statement that starts exactly the same as last year’s essay sets the expectation that you won’t be offering much new material this time around.

Some applicants choose to directly address the fact that they’re reapplicants, discussing what they learned from the experience of applying previously and reflecting on how they’ve worked to improve their applications since they last applied. Others highlight new activities and discuss why they’re stronger candidates for medical school than ever before without addressing outright that they’re reapplying.

Both approaches are acceptable; however, if you decide to talk about a past attempt, don’t make it a major focus of the essay. The limited space you’re allowed for the personal statement is better used to discuss your strengths and motivation for medicine than to dwell on a previous rejection.

Even if you don’t mention that you’re a reapplicant, the schools that you’ve applied to before will likely still have your old application on file and be aware that you’re reapplying.

About This Article

This article is from the book:.

• Getting into Medical School For Dummies ,

About the book author:

Carleen Eaton , MD, has used her expertise in admissions and test preparation, as well as her experiences as an applicant who received acceptances to top-ranked medical schools, to guide hundreds of applicants successfully through the medical school admissions process. She is the founder of prehealthadvising.com, a medical school admissions consulting firm.

This article can be found in the category:

• Medical School ,
• Getting into Medical School For Dummies Cheat Sheet
• How Do Letters of Recommendation Affect Your Medical School Application?
• Be Ready to Explain Why You Want to Be an Osteopathic Physician
• Selecting a Specialty for Medical School
• Thinking about Changing Careers to Become a Physician?
• View All Articles From Book

• Medical School Application

Medical School Personal Statement Examples That Got 6 Acceptances

Featured Admissions Expert: Dr. Monica Taneja, MD

These 30 exemplary medical school personal statement examples come from our students who enrolled in one of our medical school admissions consulting programs. These examples led to multiple acceptance for our student’s dream schools. In this article we'll also provide you a step-by-step guide for composing your own outstanding personal statement from scratch. If you follow this strategy, you're going to have a stellar statement whether you apply to the most competitive or the easiest medical schools to get into .

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free initial consultation here <<

Listen to the blog!

Article Contents 31 min read

Stellar medical school personal statement examples that got multiple acceptances, medical school personal statement example #1 – six acceptances.

I made my way to Hillary’s house after hearing about her alcoholic father’s incarceration. Seeing her tearfulness and at a loss for words, I took her hand and held it, hoping to make things more bearable. She squeezed back gently in reply, “thank you.” My silent gesture seemed to confer a soundless message of comfort, encouragement and support.

Through mentoring, I have developed meaningful relationships with individuals of all ages, including seven-year-old Hillary. Many of my mentees come from disadvantaged backgrounds; working with them has challenged me to become more understanding and compassionate. Although Hillary was not able to control her father’s alcoholism and I had no immediate solution to her problems, I felt truly fortunate to be able to comfort her with my presence. Though not always tangible, my small victories, such as the support I offered Hillary, hold great personal meaning. Similarly, medicine encompasses more than an understanding of tangible entities such as the science of disease and treatment—to be an excellent physician requires empathy, dedication, curiosity and love of problem solving. These are skills I have developed through my experiences both teaching and shadowing inspiring physicians.

Medicine encompasses more than hard science. My experience as a teaching assistant nurtured my passion for medicine; I found that helping students required more than knowledge of organic chemistry. Rather, I was only able to address their difficulties when I sought out their underlying fears and feelings. One student, Azra, struggled despite regularly attending office hours. She approached me, asking for help. As we worked together, I noticed that her frustration stemmed from how intimidated she was by problems. I helped her by listening to her as a fellow student and normalizing her struggles. “I remember doing badly on my first organic chem test, despite studying really hard,” I said to Azra while working on a problem. “Really? You’re a TA, shouldn’t you be perfect?” I looked up and explained that I had improved my grades through hard work. I could tell she instantly felt more hopeful, she said, “If you could do it, then I can too!” When she passed, receiving a B+;I felt as if I had passed too. That B+ meant so much: it was a tangible result of Azra’s hard work, but it was also symbol of our dedication to one another and the bond we forged working together.

My passion for teaching others and sharing knowledge emanates from my curiosity and love for learning. My shadowing experiences in particular have stimulated my curiosity and desire to learn more about the world around me. How does platelet rich plasma stimulate tissue growth? How does diabetes affect the proximal convoluted tubule? My questions never stopped. I wanted to know everything and it felt very satisfying to apply my knowledge to clinical problems.

Shadowing physicians further taught me that medicine not only fuels my curiosity; it also challenges my problem solving skills. I enjoy the connections found in medicine, how things learned in one area can aid in coming up with a solution in another. For instance, while shadowing Dr. Steel I was asked, “What causes varicose veins and what are the complications?” I thought to myself, what could it be? I knew that veins have valves and thought back to my shadowing experience with Dr. Smith in the operating room. She had amputated a patient’s foot due to ulcers obstructing the venous circulation. I replied, “veins have valves and valve problems could lead to ulcers.” Dr. Steel smiled, “you’re right, but it doesn’t end there!” Medicine is not disconnected; it is not about interventional cardiology or orthopedic surgery. In fact, medicine is intertwined and collaborative. The ability to gather knowledge from many specialties and put seemingly distinct concepts together to form a coherent picture truly attracts me to medicine.

It is hard to separate science from medicine; in fact, medicine is science. However, medicine is also about people—their feelings, struggles and concerns. Humans are not pre-programmed robots that all face the same problems. Humans deserve sensitive and understanding physicians. Humans deserve doctors who are infinitely curious, constantly questioning new advents in medicine. They deserve someone who loves the challenge of problem solving and coming up with innovative individualized solutions. I want to be that physician. I want to be able to approach each case as a unique entity and incorporate my strengths into providing personalized care for my patients. Until that time, I may be found Friday mornings in the operating room, peering over shoulders, dreaming about the day I get to hold the drill.

Let's take a step back to consider what this medical school personal statement example does, not just what it says. It begins with an engaging hook in the first paragraph and ends with a compelling conclusion. The introduction draws you in, making the essay almost impossible to put down, while the conclusion paints a picture of someone who is both passionate and dedicated to the profession. In between the introduction and conclusion, this student makes excellent use of personal narrative. The anecdotes chosen demonstrate this individual's response to the common question, " Why do you want to be a doctor ?" while simultaneously making them come across as compassionate, curious, and reflective.

This person is clearly a talented writer, but this was the result of several rounds of edits with one of our medical school admissions consulting team members and a lot of hard work.

If your essay is not quite there yet, or if you're just getting started, don't sweat it. A good personal statement will take time and editing. 

I was one of those kids who always wanted to be doctor. I didn’t understand the responsibilities and heartbreaks, the difficult decisions, and the years of study and training that go with the title, but I did understand that the person in the white coat stood for knowledge, professionalism, and compassion. As a child, visits to the pediatrician were important events. I’d attend to my hair and clothes, and travel to the appointment in anticipation. I loved the interaction with my doctor. I loved that whoever I was in the larger world, I could enter the safe space of the doctor’s office, and for a moment my concerns were heard and evaluated. I listened as my mother communicated with the doctor. I’d be asked questions, respectfully examined, treatments and options would be weighed, and we would be on our way. My mother had been supported in her efforts to raise a well child, and I’d had a meaningful interaction with an adult who cared for my body and development. I understood medicine as an act of service, which aligned with my values, and became a dream.

I was hospitalized for several months as a teenager and was inspired by the experience, despite the illness. In the time of diagnosis, treatment and recovery, I met truly sick children. Children who were much more ill than me. Children who wouldn’t recover. We shared a four-bed room, and we shared our medical stories. Because of the old hospital building, there was little privacy in our room, and we couldn’t help but listen-in during rounds, learning the medical details, becoming “experts” in our four distinct cases. I had more mobility than some of the patients, and when the medical team and family members were unavailable, I’d run simple errands for my roommates, liaise informally with staff, and attend to needs. To bring physical relief, a cold compress, a warmed blanket, a message to a nurse, filled me with such an intense joy and sense of purpose that I applied for a volunteer position at the hospital even before my release.

I have since been volunteering in emergency departments, out-patient clinics, and long term care facilities. While the depth of human suffering is at times shocking and the iterations of illness astounding, it is in the long-term care facility that I had the most meaningful experiences by virtue of my responsibilities and the nature of the patients’ illnesses. Charles was 55 when he died. He had early onset Parkinson’s Disease with dementia that revealed itself with a small tremor when he was in his late twenties. Charles had a wife and three daughters who visited regularly, but whom he didn’t often remember. Over four years as a volunteer, my role with the family was to fill in the spaces left by Charles’ periodic inability to project his voice as well as his growing cognitive lapses. I would tell the family of his activities between their visits, and I would remind him of their visits and their news. This was a hard experience for me. I watched as 3 daughters, around my own age, incrementally lost their father. I became angry, and then I grew even more determined.

In the summer of third year of my Health Sciences degree, I was chosen to participate in an undergraduate research fellowship in biomedical research at my university. As part of this experience, I worked alongside graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, medical students, physicians, and faculty in Alzheimer’s research into biomarkers that might predict future disease. We collaborated in teams, and by way of the principal investigator’s careful leadership, I learned wherever one falls in terms of rank, each contribution is vital to the outcome. None of the work is in isolation. For instance, I was closely mentored by Will, a graduate student who had been in my role the previous summer. He, in turn, collaborated with post docs and medical students, turning to faculty when roadblocks were met. While one person’s knowledge and skill may be deeper than another’s, individual efforts make up the whole. Working in this team, aside from developing research skills, I realized that practicing medicine is not an individual pursuit, but a collaborative commitment to excellence in scholarship and leadership, which all begins with mentorship.

Building on this experience with teamwork in the lab, I participated in a global health initiative in Nepal for four months, where I worked alongside nurses, doctors, and translators. I worked in mobile rural health camps that offered tuberculosis care, monitored the health and development of babies and children under 5, and tended to minor injuries. We worked 11-hour days helping hundreds of people in the 3 days we spent in each location. Patients would already be in line before we woke each morning. I spent each day recording basic demographic information, blood pressure, pulse, temperature, weight, height, as well as random blood sugar levels, for each patient, before they lined up to see a doctor. Each day was exhausting and satisfying. We helped so many people. But this satisfaction was quickly displaced by a developing understanding of issues in health equity.

My desire to be doctor as a young person was not misguided, but simply naïve. I’ve since learned the role of empathy and compassion through my experiences as a patient and volunteer. I’ve broadened my contextual understanding of medicine in the lab and in Nepal. My purpose hasn’t changed, but what has developed is my understanding that to be a physician is to help people live healthy, dignified lives by practicing both medicine and social justice.

Want to hear more medical school personal statement examples that got accepted?

28 More Medical School Personal Statement Examples That Got Accepted

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t I pursue medicine sooner?\u201d Is the question that now occupies my mind. Leila made me aware of the unprofessional treatment delivered by some doctors. My subsequent activities confirmed my desire to become a doctor who cares deeply for his patients and provides the highest quality care. My passion for research fuels my scientific curiosity. I will continue to advocate for patient equality and fairness. Combining these qualities will allow me to succeed as a physician. ","label":"Med School PS Example #10","title":"Med School PS Example #10"}]" code="tab4" template="BlogArticle">

" It was the middle of the night when I received the call that my friend was trying to jump off the 30th floor of an apartment building. When I got to her, all I could see was anguish and fear in her eyes as she looked back at me from the balcony. I was eventually able to talk her down, but this was only one of many times I came to her aid as she struggled with mental illness."

Medical school personal statement example: #12

" I lost my brother before I had the opportunity to meet him. Technology was not advanced enough in my hometown in India for my mother to know she had lost her child before it laid still in her arms."

Medical school personal statement example: #13

" After six years of being in the closet, I came out to my parents as bisexual in the middle of a family dinner, blurting out the confession as I couldn’t hold it in anymore ... To me, this was just one small piece of me and my identity that was different but for some, it makes all the difference."

Medical school personal statement example: #14

" While shadowing primary care physicians, neurologists and a laryngologist however, I realized just how untrue the idea of doctors failing to feel helpless can be ... Looking back now, I didn’t yet comprehend that doctors were human and didn’t always have all of the answers. This was my first encounter with the limitations of medicine."

Medical school personal statement example: #15

" Having been both a patient and a teacher, I have experienced the importance of paying attention to brief moments that can offer great transformation."

Medical school personal statement example: #16

" “Who are you?” At 20 years old, I stood face to face with my abuela, but I was now a stranger. Our relationship had been erased with those three simple words. My abuela, as I had known her, was gone."

Medical school personal statement example: #17

" As a child growing up, I faced signs in Mandarin and Hindu scriptures with a mixture of curiosity and frustration. Across the street from my childhood home, I saw the effect of misunderstanding played out in reverse at the hospital ... I could not hear the conversations, but I recognized the expression on the receptionist’s face each time she spoke to a Hindi-speaking patient—wrinkled nose and a raised eyebrow with a look of confusion. At a young age, I understood how discouraging even simple communication could be across a language barrier."

Medical school personal statement example: #18

" The high pitched siren broke silence in a frosty winter morning. Stationed on the curbside was an ambulance with flashing red and white lights with my mother inside. Not long ago, our car skidded on ice and hit a tree ... In the next few days, I sat alongside my mother in the hospital, praying that her pain would ease and she would recover soon."

Medical school personal statement example: #19

" Coping with my mother’s visual hallucinations, amnesia, and overall emotional instability was frustrating and exhausting. I was heartbroken watching the strong, independent woman who raised me struggle to be herself. Nevertheless, I witnessed the necessity of having faith and proper support in overcoming hurdles such as these."

Medical school personal statement example: #20

" While it was devastating to learn that there was no treatment for NCL, it highlighted the importance of medical research ... The connection the doctors developed with my family, the way they taught us about NCL, and the hope their research on NCL gave us helped drive my curiosity and love for medicine."

Medical school personal statement example: #21

" We were passing through the blinding lights of New York City when the incident happened. It happened slowly, like in a movie. Shuffling along the crowded sidewalk, holding my mother’s hand, I suddenly felt her fingers slip from my grasp."

Medical school personal statement example: #22

"W hen I was ten years old, I had an uncle I’d never met before come to visit. When my mother introduced him to us, she told us that he was a travelling physician for doctors without borders ... He told us that his job was to provide care for people in need, regardless of race, nationality, class, or creed. 'One day, maybe you can join me,' he said."

Medical school personal statement example: #23

" When I was young, I wanted to be just like my father ... As I got older, the veil of importance I always viewed him with began to lift – the smoke in front of my eyes swept away in a cold gust of wind. On my 16th birthday, he gave me the only advice he would ever give before he died."

Medical school personal statement example: #24

" As I watched smoke curl around my grandfather’s chapped hands, I often wondered if the burning red tip of the cigarette kept him warm in the cold prairie winter ... Cigarettes were bad for you, he'd say, yet he continued the ritual every workday. Adults always told us they were bad for your health. But nobody told Grandpa he shouldn’t smoke."

Medical school personal statement example: #25

" To me, being a psychiatrist is like dropping a few coins in a cup. It doesn’t seem like enough, but little by little, those coins start to add up."

Medical school personal statement example: #26

" I wasn’t supposed to live past the age of 25. Growing up in a neighborhood where drug use was commonplace and crime rates were high, every young person could see what their future held every day on the walk home from school."

Medical school personal statement example: #27

" When we returned home after the mission trip, that sense of pride hung around. I reflected on my trip, and I realized ... while dentistry still didn’t spark my passions, my interest in medicine had been ignited."

Medical school personal statement example: #28

"' People like Annie have problems that won’t go away,' Dr. Dean said, 'but that doesn’t mean we can’t help.'"

Medical school personal statement example: #29

" We were out on patrol one night and heard shouting. We called it in and ran over, fearing the worst. What we found was a small boy – one of the local kids – who had tripped and scraped his knee. Well, didn’t Jeff patch him up with his field kit, showing a great bedside manner for a guy in full tactical gear."

Medical school personal statement example: #30

" I’m not decrying loud music, but ... a series of bad decisions and ignored warnings may have condemned me to a future of obnoxious background noise."

Are you a medical school reapplicant? Check out some medical school reapplicant personal statement examples. ","label":"NOTE","title":"NOTE"}]" code="tab2" template="BlogArticle">

Tips to Create Your Exemplary Medical School Personal Statement

Your med school personal statement is one of the most important medical school requirements . It tells your story of why you decided to pursue the medical profession. Keep in mind that personal statements are one of the key factors that affect medical school acceptance rates . A well-written personal statement can mean the difference between acceptance and rejection!

“Personal statements are often emphasized in your application to medical school as this singular crucial factor that distinguishes you from every other applicant. Demonstrating the uniqueness of my qualities is precisely how I found myself getting multiple interviews and offers into medical school.” – Dr. Vincent Adeyemi, MD

Personal statements remain one of the most challenging parts of students' journeys to medical school. Here's our student Melissa sharing her experience of working on her personal statement:

"I struggled making my personal statement personal... I couldn't incorporate my feelings, motives and life stories that inspired me to pursue medicine into my personal statement" - Melissa, BeMo Student

Let's approach this step-by-step. Here's a quick run-down of what we'll cover in the article:

#1 Review What Makes a Strong Medical School Personal Statement

Before discussing how to write a strong medical school personal statement, we first need to understand the qualities of a strong essay. Similar to crafting strong medical school secondary essays , writing a strong personal statement is a challenging, yet extremely important, part of your MD or MD-PhD programs applications. Your AMCAS Work and Activities section may show the reader what you have done, but the personal statement explains why.

This is how Dr. Neel Mistry, MD and our admissions expert, prepared for his medical school personal statement writing:

"The personal statement is an opportunity for you to shine and really impress the committee to invite you for an interview. The personal statement is your chance to be reflective and go beyond what is stated on your CV and [activities]. In order to stand out, it is important to answer the main questions [of medical school personal statements] well: a bit about yourself and what led you to medicine, why you would make an ideal medical student and future physician, what attracts you to [medicine], and what sets you apart from the other candidates. The key here is answering the last two questions well. Most candidates simply highlight what they have done, but do not reflect on it or mention how what they have done has prepared them for a future medical career." - Dr. Neel Mistry, MD

A personal statement should be deeply personal, giving the admissions committee insight into your passions and your ultimate decision to pursue a career in medicine. A compelling and introspective personal statement can make the difference between getting a medical school interview and facing medical school rejection .

As you contemplate the task in front of you, you may be wondering what composing an essay has to do with entering the field of medicine. Many of our students were surprised to learn that medical school personal statements are so valued by med schools. The two things are more closely related than you think. A compelling personal statement demonstrates your written communication skills and highlights your accomplishments, passions, and aspirations. The ability to communicate a complex idea in a short space is an important skill as a physician. You should demonstrate your communication skills by writing a concise and meaningful statement that illustrates your best attributes. Leaving a lasting impression on your reader is what will lead to interview invitations.

#2 Brainstorm Ideas to Make Your Medical School Personal Statement Stand Out

Personal statements for medical school often start by explaining why medicine is awesome; but the admission committee already knows that. You should explain why you want a career in medicine. What is it about the practice of medicine that resonates with who you are? Here are some additional questions you can consider as you go about brainstorming for your essay:

• What motivates you to learn more about medicine?
• What is something you want them to know about you that isn't in your application?
• Where were you born, how did you grow up, and what type of childhood did you have growing up (perhaps including interesting stories about your siblings, parents, grandparents)?
• What kinds of early exposure to the medical field left an impression on you as a child?
• Did you become familiar with and interested in the field of medicine at an early stage of your life? If so, why?
• What are your key strengths, and how have you developed these?
• What steps did you take to familiarize yourself with the medical profession?
• Did you shadow a physician? Did you volunteer or work in a clinical setting? Did you get involved in medical research?
• What challenges have you faced? Have these made an impact on what you chose to study?
• What are your favorite activities?
• What kinds of extracurriculars for medical school or volunteer work have you done, and how have these shaped who you are, your priorities, and or your perspectives on a career in medicine?
• What was your "Aha!" moment?
• When did your desire to become a doctor solidify?
• How did you make the decision to apply to medical school?

You shouldn't try to answer all of these in your essay. Try a few main points that will carry over into the final draft. Start developing your narrative by prioritizing the most impactful responses to these prompts and the ideas that are most relevant to your own experiences and goals. The perfect personal statement not only shows the admissions committee that you have refined communication skills, but also conveys maturity and professionalism.

Here's how our student Alison, who was a non-traditional applicant with a serious red flag in her application, used her brainstorming sessions with our admissions experts to get a theme going in her medical school personal statement and her overall application package:

"I think it was during my brainstorming session that we really started talking about... what the theme [was] going to be for my application. And I think that was really helpful in and of itself. Just [reflecting] 'Hey, what's your focus going to be like? How are we going to write this? What's the style going to be?' Just to create an element of consistency throughout..." Alison, BeMo Student, current student at Dell Medical School 

After brainstorming, you should be able to clearly see two to four key ideas, skills, qualities, and intersections that you want to write about.

As you begin thinking about what to include in your personal essay, remember that you are writing for a specific audience with specific expectations. The admissions committee will be examining your essay through the lens of their particular school's mission, values, and priorities, as well as the qualities of an ideal physician.

"Make it easy for the reader to be able to work [their] way through [your personal statement]. Because, at the end of the day, I think one thing that helped me a lot was being able to think about who was going to be reading this application and it's going to be these people that are sitting around a desk or sitting at a table and [go] through massive numbers of applications every single day. And the easier and more digestible that you can make it for them, gives you a little bit of a win." - Alison, BeMo student, current student at Dell Medical School

You should think about your experiences with reference to the AAMC Core Competencies and to each school's mission statement so that you're working toward your narrative with the institution and broader discipline in mind. The AAMC Core Competencies are the key characteristics and skills sought by U.S. medical schools.

You are not expected to have mastered all of these competencies at this stage of your education. Display those that are relevant to your experiences will help demonstrate your commitment to the medical profession.

#4 How to Answer the Prompt, Without a Prompt

Your personal statement is, in essence, an essay prompt without a prompt. They give you free rein to write your own prompt to tell your story. This is often difficult for students as they find it hard to get started without having a true direction. However, you can think of this question as essentially having the prompt “why do you want to become a doctor?” . Here are some questions to guide your self-reflection:

• The moment your passion for medicine crystallized
• The events that led you toward this path
• Specific instances in which you experienced opportunities
• Challenges that helped shape your worldview
• Your compassion, resilience, or enthusiastic collaboration
• Demonstrate your commitment to others
• Your dependability
• Your leadership skills
• Your ability to problem-solve or to resolve a conflict

These are personal, impactful experiences that only you have had. Focus on the personal, and connect that to the values of your future profession. Do that and you will avoid writing the same essay as everyone else. Dr. Monica Taneja, MD and our admissions expert, shares her tip that got her accepted to the University of Maryland School of Medicine :

"I focused on my journey to medicine and opportunities that I sought out along the way. Everyone’s path and validation is unique, so walking the reader through your growth to the point of application will naturally be different, but that's what I wanted to share in my personal statement." - Dr. Monica Taneja, MD

#5 reflect on your theme.

Admissions committees don't want your medical school resumé in narrative form. All that stuff is already in the activities section of the application. This is where you should discuss interesting or important life events that shaped you and your interest in medicine (a service trip to rural Guatemala, a death in the family, a personal experience as a patient).

“The essay is not about what you have been through; it's about who it made you into.” – Dr. Vincent Adeyemi, MD

One suggestion is to have an overarching theme to your essay to tie everything together, starting with an intriguing personal anecdote. Alternatively, you can use one big metaphor or analogy through the essay.

Dr. Jaime Cazes, MD encourages you to be creative when it comes to the theme of your personal statement:

"It is very easy to make the 'cookie-cutter' personal statement. To a reviewer who is reading tens of these at a time it can become quite boring. What I did was [tell] a story. Like any good novel, the stories' first lines are meant to hook the reader. This can be about anything if you can bring it back and relate it to your application. It could be about the time your friend was smashed up against the boards in hockey and you, with your limited first aid experience helped to treat him. It is important that the story be REAL." - Dr. Jaime Cazes, MD, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine

Your personal statement must be well-organized, showing a clear, logical progression, as well as connections between ideas. It is generally best to use a chronological progression since this mirrors your progression into a mature adult and gives you the opportunity to illustrate how you learned from early mistakes later on. Carry the theme throughout the statement to achieve continuity and cohesion. Use the theme to links ideas from each paragraph to the next and to unite your piece.

#1 Review Medical School Personal Statement Structure

Writing the first draft of your essay, it is important to keep an outline in mind: The essay should read like a chronological narrative and have good structure and flow. Just like any academic essay, it will need an introduction, body content, and a conclusion. 

Introduction

The introductory sentence of your essay will most certainly make or break your overall statement. Ensure that you have a creative and captivating opening sentence that draws the reader in. The kinds of things that inspire or motivate you can say a lot about who you are as a person.

“ Like any good novel, the stories' first lines are meant to hook the reader. This can be about anything if you can bring it back and relate it to your application. It could be about the time your friend was smashed up against the boards in hockey and you, with your limited first aid experience helped to treat him.” – Dr. Jaime Cazes, MD

That is a lot of work for a single paragraph to do. To better help you envision what this looks like in practice, here is a sample introduction that hits these main points.

I was convinced I was going to grow up to be a professional chef. This was not just another far-fetched idealistic childhood dream that many of us had growing up. There was a sense of certainty about this dream that motivated me to devote countless hours to its practice. It was mostly the wonder that it brought to others and the way they were left in awe after they tried a dish that I recall enjoying the most creating as a young chef. But, when I was 13, my grandfather was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, and I realized that sometimes cooking is not enough, as I quickly learned about the vital role physicians play in the life of everyday people like my family and myself. Although my grandfather ended up passing away from his illness, the impact that the healthcare team had on him, my family, and I will always serve as the initial starting point of my fascination with the medical profession. Since that time, I have spent years learning more about the human sciences through my undergraduate studies and research, have developed a deeper understanding of the demands and challenges of the medical profession through my various volunteer and extra-curricular experiences, and although it has been difficult along the way, I have continued to forge a more intimate fascination with the medical field that has motivated me to apply to medical school at this juncture of my life. ","label":"Sample Introduction","title":"Sample Introduction"}]" code="tab3" template="BlogArticle">

Check out our video to learn how to create a killer introduction to your medical school personal statement:

In the body of your essay, you essentially want to elaborate on the ideas that you have introduced in your opening paragraph by drawing on your personal experiences to provide evidence.

Depending on the details, a selection of volunteer and extracurricular experiences might be discussed in more detail, in order to emphasize other traits like collaboration, teamwork, perseverance, or a sense of social responsibility – all key characteristics sought by medical schools. Just like an academic essay, you will devote one paragraph to each major point, explaining this in detail, supporting your claims with experiences from your life, and reflecting on the meaning of each plot point in your personal narrative, with reference to why you want to pursue a medical career.

The conclusion is just as important as the introduction. It is your last chance to express your medical aspirations. You want to impress the reader while also leaving them wanting more. In this case, more would mean getting an interview so they can learn more about who you are!

Your final statement should not be a simple summary of the things you have discussed. It should be insightful, captivating, and leave the reader with a lasting impression. Although you want to re-emphasize the major ideas of your essay, you should try to be creative and captivating, much like your opening paragraph. If you can link your opening idea to your last paragraph it will really tie the whole essay together.

#2 Show, Don't Tell

The narrative you construct should display some of your most tightly held values, principles, or ethical positions, along with key accomplishments and activities. If you see yourself as someone who is committed to community service, and you have a track record of such service, your story should feature this and provide insight into why you care about your community and what you learned from your experiences. Saying that you value community service when you've never volunteered a day in your life is pointless. Stating that your family is one where we support each other through challenge and loss (if this is indeed true), is excellent because it lays the groundwork for telling a story while showing that you are orientated towards close relationships. You would then go on to offer a brief anecdote that supports this. You are showing how you live such principles, rather than just telling your reader that you have such principles:

"Remember to use specific personal examples throughout your statement to make it more impactful and memorable for the readers. Often, painting a picture in the reader’s mind in the form of a story helps with this." - Dr. Neel Mistry, MD

A lot of students make the mistake of verbalizing their personal attributes with a bunch of adjectives, such as, "This experience taught me to be a self-reliant leader, with excellent communication skills, and empathy for others..." In reality, this does nothing to convey these qualities. It's a mistake to simply list your skills or characteristics without showing the reader an example of a time you used them to solve a problem. The person reading the essay may not believe you, as you've not really given them a way to see such values in your actions. It is better to construct a narrative to show the reader that you possess the traits that medical schools are looking for, rather than explicitly stating that you are an empathetic individual or capable of deep self-reflection.

While it may be tempting to write in a high academic tone, using terminology or jargon that is often complex or discipline-specific, requiring a specialized vocabulary for comprehension. You should actually aim to write for a non-specialist audience. Remember, in the world of medicine, describing a complex, clinical condition to a patient requires using specific but clear words. Use words that you believe most people understand. Read your personal statement back to a 14-year-old, and then again to someone for whom English is not their first language, to see if you're on the right path.

Ultimately, fancy words do not make you a good communicator; listening and ensuring reader comprehension makes you a good communicator. Show them your communication skills through clear, accessible prose, written with non-specialists in mind. A common refrain among writing instructors is: never use a $10 word where a $2 word will suffice.

#4 Display Professionalism

Professionalism may seem like a difficult quality to display when only composing a personal statement. After all, the reader can't see your mannerisms, your personal style, or any of those little qualities that allow someone to appear professional. Professionalism is about respect for the experience of others on your team or in your workplace. It is displayed when you are able to step back from your own individual position and think about what is best for your colleagues and peers, considering their needs alongside your own.

One easy way to destroy a sense of professionalism is to act in a judgmental way towards others, particularly if you perceived and ultimately resolved an error on someone else's part. Sometimes students blame another medical professional for something that went wrong with a patient.

They might say something to the effect of:

"The nurse kept brushing off the patient's concerns, refusing to ask the attending to increase her pain medications. Luckily, being the empathetic individual that I am, I took the time to listen to sit with the patient, eventually bringing her concerns to the attending physician, who thanked me for letting him know."

There are a couple of things wrong with this example. It seems like this person is putting down someone else in an attempt to make themselves look better. They come across as un-empathetic and judgmental of the nurse. Maybe she was having a busy day, or maybe the attending had just seen the patient for this issue and the patient didn't really need re-assessment. Reading this kind of account in a personal statement makes the reader question the maturity of the applicant and their ability to move past blaming others and resolve problems in a meaningful way. Instead of allocating blame, identify what the problem was for the patient and then focus on what you did to resolve it and reflect on what you learned from the whole experience.

One last note on professionalism: Being professional does not mean being overly stoic, hiding your emotions, or cultivating a bland personality. A lot of students are afraid to talk about how a situation made them feel in their personal statement. They worry that discussing feelings is inappropriate and will appear unprofessional. Unfortunately for these students, emotional intelligence is hugely important to the practice of medicine. Good doctors are able to quickly identify their own emotions and understand how their emotional reactions may inform their actions, and the ability to deliver appropriate care, in a given situation. So, when writing your personal statement, think about how each experience made you feel, and what you learned from those feelings and that experience.

Step 3: Write Your First Draft of Your Personal Statement

As you can see, there is a LOT of planning and consideration to be done before actually starting your first draft. Properly brainstorming, outlining, and considering the content and style of your essay prior to beginning the essay will make the writing process much smoother than it would be you to try to jump right to the draft-writing stage.

“I wrote scores of essays at my desk in those few weeks leading up to application submission. I needed it to be perfect. Do not let anyone tell you to settle. There was no moment when I had this shining light from the sky filtering into my room to motivate me. The ultimate trick is to keep writing. It is impossible to get that perfect essay on the first try, and you may not even get it on your fifteenth attempt, but the goal is to keep at it, keep making those edits, and never back down.” – Dr. Vincent Adeyemi, MD

As you're getting started, focus on getting content on the page, filling in your outline and getting your ideas arranged on the page. Your essay will go through multiple drafts and re-writes, so the first step is to free write and start articulating connections between your experiences and the characteristics you're highlighting. You can worry about flow, transitions, and perfect grammar in later drafts. 

#1 Did You Distinguish Yourself From Others?

Is your narrative unique? Our admissions expert Dr. Monica Taneja, MD, shares how she got the attention of the admissions committee with her personal statement:

"I found it helpful to give schools a 'punch-line'. As in I wanted them to remember 1-2 things about me that are my differentiators and I reiterated those throughout [the personal statement]." - Dr. Monica Taneja, MD

Use your narrative to provide a compelling picture of who you are as a person, as a learner, as an advocate, and as a future medical professional. What can you offer?

Remember, you will be getting a lot out of your med school experience, but the school will be getting a lot out of you, as well. This is a mutually beneficial relationship, so use this opportunity to highlight what you bring to the table, and what you will contribute as a student at their institution. Make them see you as a stand out from the crowd .

#2 Does My Essay Flow and is it Comprehensible?

Personal statements are a blessing and a curse for admission committees. They provide a better glimpse of who you are than MCAT scores or GPAs. But they are long and time-consuming to read. And often, they sound exactly alike.

Frankly, if your personal statement is pleasant to read, it will get read with more attention and appreciation. Flow is easier to craft through narrative, which is why you should root the statement in a story that demonstrates characteristics desirable to medical schools . You want this to be a statement that captures the reader's interest by creating a fluid, comprehensible piece that leads the reader to not only read each paragraph but want to continue to the next sentence.

#3 Did You Check Your Grammar?

It is always important to carefully edit your medical school personal statement . Read your statement out loud to yourself and you will almost certainly find an error (and likely several errors). Use fresh eyes to review the statement several times before you actually submit it, by walking away from it for a day or so and then re-reading it.

This step can make or break your essay. Do not waste all the effort you have put into writing, to only be discarded by the committee for using incorrect grammar and syntax.

#4 Did You Gather Feedback From Other People?

While the tips above are all very useful for writing a strong draft, nothing will benefit you more than getting an outside appraisal of your work. This may sound obvious, but it's still an absolute necessity.

“It was very helpful for two of my mentors to review my statements before submitting my application. Ensure you trust the judgement and skills of the person to whom you would be giving your personal statement for review.” – Dr. Vincent Adeyemi, MD

Avoid having people too close to you read your work. They may refrain from being too critical in an effort to spare your feelings. This is the time to get brutal, honest feedback. If you know someone who is an editor but do not feel that they can be objective, try and find someone else.

Want more examples? Check out our video below:

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your Med School Personal Statement

Part of your essay's body can include a discussion of any discrepancies or gaps in your education, or disruptions in your academic performance. If you had to take time off, or if you had a term or course with low grades, or if you had any other extenuating circumstances that impacted your education, you can take time to address these here. You can approach this in your essay similarly to the question “what is your greatest weakness” that may get asked during interviews.

You will also be able to address weaknesses or setbacks in your AMCAS Statement of Disadvantage or your adversity secondary essay , so make sure there is not too much overlap between these and your personal statements.

Use your personal statement to emphasize your ability to persevere through whatever life has thrown your way. Most of all, if you feel like you have to explain yourself, take accountability for the situation. State that it is unfortunate and then redirect it to what you learned and how it will make you a better doctor. Always focus on being positive and do not lament on the negative situation too much.

Mistakes to Avoid in Medical School Personal Statements

Here are some mistakes that may raise a red flag in your personal statement:

Check out this video on the top 5 errors to avoid in your personal statement!

FAQs and Final Notes

This Ultimate Guide has demonstrated all the work that needs to be done to compose a successful, engaging personal statement for your medical school application. While it would be wonderful if there was an easy way to write your personal statement in a day, the reality is that this kind of composition takes a lot of work. As daunting as this may seem, this guide lays out a clear path. In summary, the following 5 steps are the basis of what you should take away from this guide. These 5 steps are your guide and sort of cheat sheet to writing your best personal statement.

5 Main Takeaways For Personal Statement Writing:

• Brainstorming
• Content and Theme
• Multiple Drafts
• Revision With Attention to Grammar

While a strong personal statement alone will not guarantee admission to medical school, it could absolutely squeeze you onto a  medical school waitlist , off the waitlist, and onto the offer list, or give someone on the admissions committee a reason to go to battle for your candidacy. Use this as an opportunity to highlight the incredible skills you've worked and studied to refine, the remarkable life experiences you've had, and the key qualities you possess in your own unique way. Show the admissions committee that you are someone they want to meet. Remember, in this context, wanting to meet you means wanting to bring you in for an interview!

Your personal statement should tell your story and highlight specific experiences or aspects of your journey that have led you to medicine. If your first exposure or interest in the medical field was sparked from your own medical struggles, then you can certainly include this in your statement.

All US medical schools require the completion of a personal statement with your AMCAS, TMDSAS or AACOMAS applications. Medical schools in Canada on the other hand, do not require personal statements but may have essay prompts that are similar in nature.

Think about whether or not that bad grade might reflect on you poorly. If you think it will, then it's best to address the academic misstep head-on instead of having admissions committees dwell on possible areas of concern. 

No! Students arrive to medicine in all sorts of ways, some change career paths later in life, some always knew they wanted to pursue medicine, and others slowly became interested in medicine through their life interactions and experiences. Your personal statement should address your own unique story. 

While your entire statement is important, the opening sentence can often make or break your statement. If your opening sentence is not eye-catching, interesting, and memorable, you risk your statement blending in with the large pile of other statements. 

Having your statement reviewed by family and friends can be a good place to start, but unfortunately they will often not be able to provide unbiased feedback and may not have the expertise necessary to understand nuance in statements.

If you have enough time set aside to write your statement without juggling multiple other commitments, it normally takes at least 6-8 weeks to write your statement. 

The goal is to show as many of them as you can in the WHOLE application: this includes your personal statement, sketch, reference letters, secondary essays, and even your GPA and MCAT (which show critical thinking and reasoning already). So, you don’t need to address them all in your essay.

Yes, you can. However, if you used an experience as a most meaningful entry, pick something else to talk about in your essay. 

The reality is, medical school admission is an extremely competitive process. In order to have the best chance of success, every part of your application must be stellar. 

The ones that honestly made the most impact on you. You'll need to reflect on your whole life and think about which experiences helped you grow and pushed you to pursue medicine. Ideally, experiences that show commitment and progression are better than one-off or short-term activities, as they usually contribute more to growth.

Dr. Lauren Prufer is an admissions expert at BeMo. Dr. Prufer is also a medical resident at McMaster University. Her medical degree is from the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. During her time in medical school, she developed a passion for sharing her knowledge with others through medical writing, research, and peer mentoring.

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

Want more free tips? Subscribe to our channels for more free and useful content!

Apple Podcasts

Like our blog? Write for us ! >>

Have a question ask our admissions experts below and we'll answer your questions.

Jack Weaver

I have been reading posts regarding this topic and this post is one of the most interesting and informative one I have read. Thank you for this!

Hello Jack! Thank you very much for your comment. We glad you find this helpful!

Get Started Now

Talk to one of our admissions experts

Our site uses cookies. By using our website, you agree with our cookie policy .

FREE Training Webinar: How To Make Your Med School Application Stand Out

(and avoid the top 5 reasons that get 90% of applicants rejected).