Personal Statement

The personal statement is your opportunity to describe who you are, why you are uniquely qualified for a career in the health professions (beyond GPA and standardized test results), and what influences and experiences have informed your decision to pursue medicine or dentistry.

Most importantly, the personal statement is your opportunity to leave the reader with a message or theme that symbolizes a key aspect of your candidacy. The personal statement plays a role in determining who gets an interview, and you can greatly improve your chances by submitting a well-written and interesting essay. We recommend having a couple of trusted people read and edit your personal statement.

For assistance with the technical aspects of your essay, we recommend you schedule an appointment with the Writing Center to have one of their tutors review your draft. To schedule an appointment, please visit the Writing Center website and click on the “Schedule an Appointment” link. The Pre-Professional Advising Office also offers general feedback on one draft of your personal statement; details of this service will be available during your application cycle.




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