eras personal statement anesthesia

Sample Personal Statement: Anesthesiology

I am eager to pursue residency training in anesthesiology. After completing third-year medical school rotations, anesthesiology stands out as the specialty that aligns perfectly with my personality and future goals. Anesthesiology combines the cerebral requirements of internal medicine with the procedural skill of surgery. The excitement of performing procedures that have instantaneous effects on patient comfort and stability provides me with immense satisfaction. Furthermore, I look forward to working with a diverse patient population and unique doctor-patient interaction.

These are just a few reasons why anesthesiologists, as a group, love their specialty and have very high job satisfaction. It also explains why patients, in general, are so appreciative of the services anesthesiologists provide. It is my sincere desire to provide these valuable services in the invigorating field of anesthesiology. One of my first rotations in medical school was on trauma surgery. I vividly remember an unconscious trauma patient, MJ, who required an emergent intubation. Due in part to the patient's body habitus it was very difficult to obtain an airway. As MJ's oxygen saturation continued to drop, the room was silent and the tension was frightening. Thankfully an anesthesiologist was nearby and, after several attempts, was able to successfully intubate the patient. It was stimulating to me that the anesthesiologist was literally the patient's lifeline. Immediately following the intubation, MJ underwent surgery. Though the surgery was fascinating, it was more impressive to me that the anesthesiologist was the individual maintaining the patient's vital functions. I had already been considering anesthesiology for my career, but this experience helped solidify my decision.

Many of my experiences and values demonstrate my suitability for anesthesiology. I fully appreciate the value of teamwork, as evidenced by years of playing competitive soccer. Leadership is also essential to becoming a proficient anesthesiologist and my experiences teaching, coaching and as an elected officer in several positions attest to my ability to lead and inspire others. I am clear-headed and comfortable working in critical situations, and possess manual dexterity necessary to perform effectively. Finally and equally importantly, exceptional anesthesiologists communicate well with their patients and comfort them in times of great stress; my work as a missionary and my ability to speak Spanish exemplify my capacity to ease concerns in diverse patient populations I will contribute a passion for excellence, a solid work ethic, and an ambition to succeed to my anesthesiology residency program. My commitment to lifelong learning, as confirmed by the research project in which I participated during medical school, will enhance the quality and care provided in my residency program. With great anticipation I look forward to mastering the art of general anesthesiology and envision myself pursuing post-residency fellowship training, possibly in pediatric anesthesia or pain management. I seek a program that will assist me in achieving my professional goals.

Anesthesiology Residency Personal Statement Examples

With tips for writing a great residency personal statement.

Looking for anesthesiology residency personal statement examples to get a better idea of what to write? Reading some residency personal statement examples is a great place to start as you begin drafting your own personal statement and work on your residency app. It can be tricky to know what to write and how to write what motivated you to study anesthesiology and why you are passionate about a career in the specialty. In this blog, we’ll look at some anesthesiology residency personal statement examples and some tips for writing an awesome personal statement.

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Article Contents 10 min read

Anesthesiology is an interesting and rewarding specialty and securing an anesthesiology residency match is generally less competitive than some other sought-after specialties. Anesthesiology has a high match rate at 94.9% for US MD seniors, so it is not considered one of the most competitive residencies to match into.

Anesthesiology as a medical career requires a great deal of skill and broad base of medical knowledge, particularly in internal medicine. It also demands a good level of surgical skill, dexterity and precision. On top of this, anesthesiologists need to be cool and calm under pressure, able to adapt to changing situations quickly and with authority. They need to be excellent communicators with patients and their fellow medical staff team members. Anesthesiologists are crucial in critical medical situations, and can literally make the difference between life and death, so it’s a challenging but rewarding specialty to pursue.

If you’re curious about how long residency will be, anesthesiology requires a 5-year long residency training and demands a great deal of skill and excellence. But it also has one of the highest rates of job satisfaction among medical professionals, and anesthesiologists are the highest paid medical profession in the US.

Applying for an anesthesiology residency means you will be part of the NRMP match. For US MD seniors, you’ll be applying through the ERAS application , whereas Canadian applicants will be applying through CaRMS for their residency match.

After spending 5 years as an EMT, I made the life-changing decision to go to medical school. My plan was to explore working in an emergency department so I could keep using the skills I had gained as an EMT. On the more extreme side, I was considering becoming a trauma surgeon so I could take my skills to the next level. I wanted to find a specialty as a doctor that would complement the skills I had and also push me into an entirely new realm. Soon enough, though I came to the realization that my possible new career paths were leading me right back to the origin point. I wanted to go back to school and stop being an EMT because I needed a break from the work, and I needed a change. If I did fulfill my wish to work in emergency medicine or surgery, I would instead be adding on more of the aspects of the job I wanted to change.

Working as an EMT is very rewarding, but it can have its setbacks. If you’re lucky, you will have a “boring” career where you won’t see any terrible, truly traumatizing calls. But not all of us are so fortunate. It’s true that not every call is to an awful accident or disaster. But there are always calls that stay with you. It was one such call that has stayed with me, that prompted me to make this change in my career trajectory. And it was the call that convinced me my future was in anesthesiology and not surgery or emergency med.

When we arrived at the scene of this collision, its easy to overlook something. Contrary to what we think, vehicle collisions don’t always leave a giant trail to follow. The car had bowled through the guardrail in bad weather and careened straight into the ravine on the other side. A bent guardrail, not entirely uncommon, was the only sign if you didn’t know what to look for. It takes precious minutes to gear up and descend a steep ravine with ropes and harnesses and helmets. Our headlights eventually illuminated the sight of the crumpled car and its two passengers. I was on the driver’s side, working to cut through to the patient, while my partner rescued the passenger. I’d had plenty of patients be miraculously conscious and talking with me as I worked, but it’s always amazing how much pain the brain can numb us to. When a patient tells you he can’t feel anything, it stops your heart. When he passes out, it goes into overdrive. I worked with this patient, still pinned inside the car, for untold minutes before I was able to get him back. We carried him out of that ravine and into the ambulance all the way to the hospital. I stayed with him the entire time, monitoring his vitals. He remained unconscious, but I handed him off to the ER staff with the hope that he would make it through. As an EMT you don’t get to find out. You’re the first responder, the person responsible for keeping someone alive until they can get to the hospital. It started the desire to be the person in there with the patient, seeing them through, instead of being the one to discover and rescue them.

Anesthesiology appeals to me because it will allow me to further develop my skillset and demand an even greater amount of training and discipline from me. But it will steer me away from the more demanding and stressful aspects of my former career. I know as an anesthesiologist my job will not always be routine and calm, but I have shown I can roll with the punches and adjust to unexpected situations. But as a career this specialty will give me room to breathe, so I can focus on helping patients, easing their pain. As an anesthesiologist you’re a critical part of the team. As an EMT, even if many others working with you, it can often feel lonely. You against the problem, with the stakes literally life and death. In anesthesiology the stakes are the same, but you’re not the only lifeline.

I believe my experiences and skills will make me an ideal anesthesiologist. I have always been sure of what I wanted to achieve in my medical career, and I believe this specialty will be the best way for me to fulfill it in a way that both helps patients and helps me to keep growing as a medical professional.

Still deciding on your residency career? Check out this infographic on resident career counseling services.

I remember the first time I was able to watch a child succeed. As a teenager, I took on some part-time babysitting jobs to bring in extra cash. I rotated with a few different families in the neighborhood, but there was one child, Casey, who stood out. All kids have unique and naturally captivating personalities, but Casey was a neon pink light on a string of Christmas lights. She was loud and passionate and colorful. She loved dance more than anything. When I watched her compete in her dance company’s Spring Recital, executing the movements she’d spent so many weeks perfecting, the biggest smile on her face, it occurred to me how amazing it is to witness a child succeed in their goals, and how humbling it feels to be a supporting pillar for them.

Casey’s journey to the Spring Recital had setbacks, obstacles and plenty of work. But her optimism, natural talent and hard work saw her through. Kids are resilient, no matter the challenge. As a volunteer at the Miller Foundation Children’s Hospital, this was proven to me over and over as I witnessed the journeys of dozens of kids fighting the toughest battles anyone can face. Whether they were undergoing chemo, facing a trauma or getting a commonplace operation, these kids faced it with all the bravery and resilience Casey had shown me in preparing for her dance recital. With Casey, it was endless practice, encouragement, and advice. The rest was on her. With the children I worked with in the hospital, it was difficult at first to accept that I couldn’t fight the battle for them. All I could do was be a supporting character, showing them care and encouragement and positivity. It was up to them to do the rest. And just like Casey taking her final bow, they blew me away every time.

In working with children for so many years, I came to realize how important and how underrated it is. Parents, I know, want to decide the outcome of all their children’s efforts, to make sure they always reach their goals. But being there and supporting them often does so much to counter the fear of an unfamiliar and scary situation. Being a calm, steady presence gives kids something to hold onto when they’re undergoing a procedure or even getting a needle in the arm. In what will be some of the most frightening scenarios in a young child’s life, it was incredibly fulfilling for me to be able to hold a hand or offer words of encouragement and see the tiniest bit of a smile in return.

As I continued with my medical studies, I realized my original dream of becoming a pediatrician could be adjusted. As an anesthesiologist, I can be that calming, soothing person who is with a child undergoing a scary medical procedure, walking them through, offering support, seeing them through to process. I would not have missed Casey’s recital performance for the world and knowing that my support meant something to her makes all my efforts worth it. I can only imagine how magnified those feelings are for sick kids facing the hardest battles they will ever face, knowing they have someone in their corner. It is my goal to show up for kids like this, to soothe their pain, to talk with them through their fears, to ensure they know they’re not going through this alone.

I have continued to work at the Miller Foundation Children’s Hospital as a volunteer and was fortunate to be able to shadow some of our best anesthesiologists. One of them was also kind enough to write one of my recommendation letters. In the future, I plan to pursue a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology, so I might realize my goal and keep working with all those bright, beautiful kids who inspire me to follow their example.

Preparing for your residency interview? Watch this video!

Anesthesiology residency personal statement example #3

I have always prided myself on being the type of person to take action and do what needs to be done. I have never been the kind of person who sits idle and have always had at least two hobbies on the go at the same time I threw myself into athletics, academics and extracurriculars. I’ve always had a multitude of interest and an abundance of energy. I participated in clubs, music lessons, sports, leadership clubs, mathlete decathlons. I was constantly looking for the next challenge, the next big thing to learn or achieve or complete. As a classic overachiever, I strived to do everything. My one problem was trying to do everything at once, all the time.

When I applied for medical school, my achievements and drive for excellence and diversity in my interests was a huge plus. It helped me succeed at school, balance my studies, work and personal life. It ensured I fought against medical student burnout by staying engaged and hungry to keep learning and experiencing everything medical school had to offer me. I soaked up every lesson and new opportunity I could, hardly pausing to take a breath, much less slow down. Just as I’d had so much trouble narrowing down my interests and ambitions to one singular goal, I struggled in med school to choose a specialty, to focus on just one thing. I wanted to try too many things. Everything was new and interesting, and I could see myself doing any of them. But I knew eventually I would need to find my place. And it was in medical school I experienced something that changed my entire perspective.

The rotation I most looked forward to was my turn in gynecology and obstetrics. Maybe not the most popular rotation, but I had held onto a passion for women’s advocacy and health from my high school and university days, and I found the prospect of working in obstetrics ranked just a bit higher on the list than some other equally fascinating specialties. While assisting with a pregnant patient who was due to be induced, complications came up and her blood pressure dropped. The head of the medical team rushed in, directing me and my colleagues. As expected, I jumped into action, but our initial efforts produced no changes. The anesthesiologist arrived on scene in what I think was just in time. They stepped right in to take over the patient’s care and were able to successfully intubate her so she could be taken into surgery for an emergency c-section. Throughout the tense ordeal, which lasted only a few minutes, I was blown away by the calm confidence of the anesthesiologist. I know in a crisis I can think on my feet, take action and get the job done, but my heart will be racing and my mind whirling. The anesthesiologist approached the same emergent situation with a level of cool headedness that inspired me. Seeing them act as the patient’s literal lifeline while the team transported her to the OR, keep their calm and intent focus, I realized how often we forget that life-saving care doesn’t rely on one capable person directing a team. It requires a capable team, and it requires a teammate who can not only do it all but do the one critical thing perfectly.

Anesthesiology will be a perfect match for me, as it will allow me to help people in a direct and rewarding way. It also matches well with my natural demeanor and action-oriented personality. I believe anesthesiology will give me the focus and calm I have wanted to achieve, by allowing me to hone my talents and energies into a life-saving and critical skillset. My goal is to pursue a career in obstetric anesthesiology, so I can continue to work with mothers and mothers-to-be, advocating for women’s health and well-being. I believe if there were more anesthesiologists such as the one I met, that women preparing to give birth would have one more lifeline in the delivery room and more of a chance to deliver safely for themselves and their newborns. 

Writing may not be your strong suit, or maybe you want some expert eyes on your personal statement for this critical residency application. Either way, getting some feedback from residency match services or a residency advisor is a great way to polish your personal statement or identify the most compelling experiences to mention from med school, clinical rotations, research opportunities or even your early years. For international medical graduates, an IMG residency consultant can help you organize your application and find those compelling stories in your background to highlight in your personal statement.  ","label":"Consult the experts","title":"Consult the experts"}]" code="tab1" template="BlogArticle">

Anesthesiology is not considered the most competitive residency. For US MD seniors, the match rate is very high at 94.9%. It is also considered a specialty that is more friendly towards international medical graduates and DO seniors.

A residency personal statement is usually about one page long, or between 500-750 words.

Start your personal statement off with a “hook” or attention-grabbing first sentence. It’s a good idea to start with a strong statement or start telling a story to reel your reader in.

A great personal statement will be polished and free of errors, with a serious but conversational tone. It’s also best to use some storytelling and provide details about the past experiences you have which led you to apply to the program.

Anesthesiology residency training lasts 5 years.

Your personal statement should include your motivation for applying to the program, explain why you are the best candidate to fill the position and any attributes or accomplishments of yours that made you a good fit. 

Avoid using cliches or repeating information that can be found in your residency CV. Your aim is to tell a program about who you are and why you are a good fit, not to simply restate your academic and professional accomplishments.

Anesthesiology can be a demanding specialty and it requires many years of training. However it is also a specialty with a very high pay rate and high job satisfaction, so for some residents it can be the start of an exciting and very rewarding career.

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Communication Your primary method of communicating your qualifications and experiences to anesthesia residency programs is by writing a well organized and informative curriculum vitae (CV) and personal statement. These documents, in addition to your “Dean’s Letter” and letters of recommendation, will support your application.

The Curriculum Vitae The purpose of the CV is to showcase your education, skills, and experiences in a concise and articulate format. It should be an honest and accurate representation of your qualifications for anesthesiology residency training. ERAS will generate a CV for you with the information you enter. To make a separate CV in addition to the ERAS CV (ex- for individuals who will be writing your letters of recommendation), here are some basic guidelines:

• Include: Name, address, permanent address (if different), email address, and phone numbers; education: undergraduate, graduate, medical school, research experience, abstracts, publications, conference presentations, work experiences, community service and volunteer experiences; honors and achievements; professional associations; references (it is okay to state “available on request” if you prefer); and optional items (ex- foreign language ability, special skills, and other interests).
• Your CV should be a clear and concise document. Here is a template  you can use.
• Experiences are typically organized in reverse chronological order, with your current activities listed first. You can include substantial past experiences from before medical school if they will meaningfully contribute to your story.
• Work experiences
• Volunteer/community service experiences
• Research experiences
• Presentations & Publications (can include poster presentations, case studies, etc. that are currently published, awaiting publication, or submitted for publication)
• Honors & Awards (can include clinical rotation honors)
• Membership in honorary/professional societies
• Print your CV on high quality paper for a professional appearance.
• No errors in spelling or punctuation!!!
• Ask someone that knows you well about your strengths and talents.
• Read some personal statement examples. Identify styles that appeal to you and incorporate these into your personal statement.
• Think about your own special strengths, talents, qualities, interests, accomplishments, and experiences. Make a list of these. Compare the items on your list with your idea of what might make a “perfect” resident in anesthesiology. Select attributes from your personal list that resemble or support the characteristics of the “ideal” resident and incorporate these as a focus of your personal statement. DO NOT concentrate on items shared by most applicants (ex- smart and hard working). Emphasize those items that show you to be the best possible candidate for a residency training program.
• Organize your thoughts and make an outline of each paragraph. You may want to describe a meaningful experience that led you to medicine or helped you choose anesthesiology.
• Make your first paragraph attention grabbing. Its subject matter can be non-medical, as long as you connect it later in your essay. 
• Other paragraphs may describe your special skills, hobbies, or family life.
• You may want to write about your goals and what you are looking for in a training program.
• However you choose to structure your personal statement, it is important that you give a clear answer to "why anesthesiology?". Residency programs are looking for individuals who are committed to anesthesiology and demonstrate a reasonable understanding of what the field is like.
• Try to limit your personal statement to one page (on the ERAS application.)
• Consider submitting a modified or entirely different personal statement for transitional/preliminary programs.
• Consider personalizing your personal statement for your top anesthesia programs. This is often done in the final paragraph of your personal statement where you can talk about why you are interested in that program specifically and why you'd be a good fit.
• If you choose to personalize your personal statements, be sure to give your personal statements titles on ERAS (ex: Personal Statement - Program X). This will help you assign the correct statements to the correct programs. Residency programs will not see these titles. The last thing you want is a personalized personal statement going to the wrong program.
• Make your personal statement engaging!!
• Make your personal statement unique.
• Ask your faculty advisor, trusted family member or friend to review your statement. Sometimes a non-medical perspective can be helpful.
• Be sure that there are no spelling or grammatical errors!! Many medical schools have writing centers that can proofread your personal statement for you, but the ultimate responsibility falls on you.

The Dean’s Letter and Letters of Recommendation Meet with the Dean of Students to discuss your goals and review your records to ensure that your Dean’s letter will be realistic and favorable to your applications. You will have the opportunity to review your Dean’s Letter before submission. You should submit 3 to 4 letters of recommendation to each program - one department letter (if available), at least one anesthesia letter, and 1-2 letters of your choice (Surgery, Medicine, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, etc.) If your school does not offer a department letter, you can choose to submit a meaningful letter from a significant experience (research, leadership, etc.) or another anesthesia letter.

For your transitional/prelim programs, you should include a medicine/surgery recommendation letter, as well as a medicine/surgery department letter (if available.)

Find letter writers that can comment on you as an individual and on your abilities. You can start collecting letters during your 3rd year. Even if a letter writer uploads your letter to ERAS, you do NOT have to submit it with your application. The writer will not know either way. It is better to have the letter on hand and choose not to use it, rather than fall short when your application is due.

What to send to your letter writers:

• Personal Statement - it does not have to be your 100% perfected final draft
• ERAS letter of recommendation request: This form has instructions for your letter writer to upload the letter to ERAS. It is recommended that you waive your right to see your letters.
• Instructions: Include a due date, usually about 4 weeks after requesting the letter. Be sure to account for unanticipated delays when selecting the due date.

Mentors In addition to writing letters of recommendation, some mentors may be willing to review your application materials (personal statement, CV, etc.) Make sure to stay in touch with your mentors and letter writers. Keep them updated throughout the application season. If you are seriously interested in a program where you are interviewing, your mentors may be able to connect you with a resident or faculty member at that institution. However, be mindful of your mentors' busy schedules and personal levels of comfort when making any requests.

Finding Program Information The best place to find information about specific programs is the department web site.

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Ten Steps for Writing an Exceptional Personal Statement

Danielle jones.

All authors are with Emory University School of Medicine

Danielle Jones, MD, is Associate Professor of Medicine, Associate Section Chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine Grady Section, and Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency

J. Richard Pittman, Jr

J. Richard Pittman Jr, MD, is Associate Professor of Medicine, and Program Director, Fourth Year Internal Medicine Sub-Internship

Kimberly D. Manning

Kimberly D. Manning, MD, FACP, FAAP, is Professor of Medicine, and Associate Vice Chair, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Department of Medicine

The personal statement is an important requirement for residency and fellowship applications that many applicants find daunting. Beyond the cognitive challenge of writing an essay, time limitations for busy senior residents on clinical rotations present added pressure. Objective measures such as scores and evaluations paint only a partial picture of clinical and academic performance, leaving gaps in a candidate's full portrait. 1 , 2 Applicants, seemingly similar on paper, may have striking differences in experiences and distances traveled that would not be captured without a personal narrative. 2 , 3 We recommend, therefore, reframing personal statements as the way to best highlight applicants' greatest strengths and accomplishments. A well-written personal statement may be the tipping point for a residency or fellowship interview invitation, 4 , 5 which is particularly important given the heightened competition for slots due to increased participation on virtual platforms. Data show that 74% to 78% of residency programs use personal statements in their interview selection process, and 48% to 54% use them in the final rank. 6 , 7 With our combined 50 years of experience as clerkship and residency program directors (PDs) we value the personal statement and strongly encourage our trainees to seize the opportunity to feature themselves in their words.

Our residency and medical school leadership roles position us to edit and review numerous resident and student personal statements annually. This collective experience has helped us identify patterns of struggle for trainees: trouble starting, difficulty organizing a cogent narrative, losing the “personal” in the statement, and failing to display unique or notable attributes. While a bland personal statement may not hurt an applicant, it is a missed opportunity. 4 , 8 We also have distinguished helpful personal statement elements that allow PDs to establish candidates' “fit” with their desired residency or fellowship. A recent study supports that PDs find unique applicant information from personal statements helpful to determine fit. 4 Personal statement information also helps programs curate individualized interview days (eg, pair interviewers, guide conversations, highlight desirable curricula). Through our work with learners, we developed the structured approach presented here ( Figure 1 ). Applicants can use our approach to minimize typical struggles and efficiently craft personal statements that help them stand out. Busy residents, particularly, have minimal time to complete fellowship applications. We acknowledge there is no gold standard or objective measures for effective personal statement preparation. 9 Our approach, however, combined with a practical tool ( Figure 2 ), has streamlined the process for many of our mentees. Moreover, faculty advisors and program leaders, already challenged by time constraints, can use this tool to enhance their coaching and save time, effort, and cognitive energy.

Structured Approach to Writing a Personal Statement

Ten Steps for Writing an Exceptional Personal Statement: Digital Tool

Note: Use the QR code to download the digital tool and follow the 10 steps highlighted in Figure 1.

Given word count and space limitations, deciding what to include in a personal statement can be challenging. An initial brainstorm helps applicants recall personal attributes and experiences that best underscore key strengths (Step 1). 10 Writing explicit self-affirmations is challenging, so we recommend pairing with a near peer who may offer insight. Useful prompts include:

• ▪ What 3 words best encapsulate me?
• ▪ What accomplishments make me proud?
• ▪ What should every program know about me?

Reflecting on these questions (Step 2) helps elucidate the foundations of the narrative, 10 including strengths, accomplishments, and unique elements to be included. Additionally, the preparation steps help uncover the “thread” that connects the story sequentially. While not all agree that personal or patient stories are necessary, they are commonly included. 5 One genre analysis showed that 97% of applicants to residency programs in internal medicine, family medicine, and surgery used an opening that included either a personal narrative (66%) and/or a decision to enter medicine (54%) or the specialty of choice (72%). 9 Radiology PDs ranked personal attributes as the second most important component in personal statements behind choice of specialty. 9 Further, a descriptive study of anesthesia applicants' personal statements ranked those that included elements such as discussion of a family's or friend's illness or a patient case as more original. 3 We feel that personal and patient stories often provide an interesting hook to engage readers, as well as a mechanism to highlight (1) personal characteristics, (2) journey to and/or enthusiasm for desired discipline, and (3) professional growth, all without giving the impression of being boastful. Sketching these Step 2 fundamentals prepares applicants to begin writing with intention.

Writing and Structuring

Once key elements are identified, the next steps assist with the actual writing. Utilizing information gleaned from the “Preparing” steps, start with a freewriting exercise (Step 3), an unrestricted association of ideas aimed at answering, “What experiences have cultivated my strong interest in pursuing [______]?” At this stage, ignore spelling and grammar. Just write, even if the product is the roughest, rough draft imaginable. 10 Setting a timer for 10 to 15 minutes establishes a less intimidating window to start. Freewriting generates the essential initial content that typically will require multiple revisions. 10

Next, we recommend structuring the freewriting content into suggested paragraphs (Step 4), using the following framework to configure the first draft:

• ▪ Introductory paragraph: A compelling story, experience, or something that introduces the applicant and makes the reader want to know more (the hook). If related to a patient or other person, it should underscore the writer's qualities.
• ▪ Paragraph 2: Essential details that a program must know about the applicant and their proudest accomplishments.
• ▪ Paragraph(s) 3-4: Specific strengths related to the specialty of choice and leadership experiences.
• ▪ Closing paragraph: What the applicant values in a training program and what they believe they can contribute.

Evaluate what has been written and ensure that, after the engaging hook, the body incorporates the best pieces identified during the preparation steps (Step 5). A final paragraph affords ample space for a solid conclusion to the thread. Occasionally the narrative flows better with separate strengths and leadership paragraphs for a total of 5, but we strongly recommend the final statement not exceed 1 single-spaced page to reduce cognitive load on the reader.

This part of the process involves revising the piece into a final polished personal statement. Before an early draft is shared with others, it should be evaluated for several important factors by returning to the initial questions and then asking (Step 6):

“Does this personal statement…”

• Amplify my strengths, highlight my proudest accomplishments, and emphasize what a program must know about me?
• Have a logical flow?
• Accurately attribute content and avoid plagiarism?
• Use proper grammar and avoid slang or profanity?

While not as challenging as the other steps, optimization takes time. 10 At this stage, “resting” the draft for 1 week minimum (Step 7) puts a helpful distance between the writer and their work before returning, reading, and editing. 10 Writers can edit their own work to a point, but they often benefit by enlisting a trusted peer or advisor for critiques. Hearing their draft read aloud by a peer or advisor allows the applicant to evaluate the work from another perspective while noting how well it meets the criteria from the tool (provided as online supplementary data).

A virtual or in-person meeting between applicant and mentor ultimately saves time and advances the writer to a final product more quickly than an email exchange. Sending the personal statement in advance helps facilitate the meeting. Invite the advisor to candidly comment on the tool's criteria to yield the most useful feedback (Step 8). When done effectively, edits can be made in real time with the mentor's input.

We bring closure to the process by focusing on spelling and grammar checks (Step 9). Clarity, conciseness, and the use of proper English were rated as extremely important by PDs. 3 , 9 Grammatical errors distract readers, highlight inattention to detail, and detract from the personal statement. 3 , 9 Once more, we recommend resting the draft before calling it final (Step 10). If the piece required starting over or significant rewriting based on feedback received, we also suggest seeking additional feedback on this draft, ideally from someone in the desired residency or fellowship discipline. If only minor edits (eg, flow, language) were incorporated, the personal statement can be considered complete at this time.

Writing a personal statement represents a unique opportunity for residency and fellowship applicants to amplify their ERAS application beyond the confines of its objective components. 3 Using this stepwise approach encourages each personal statement to be truly personal and streamlines the process for applicants and reviewers alike. All stakeholders benefit: applicants, regardless of their scores and academic metrics, can arm themselves with powerful means for self-advocacy; PDs gain a clearer idea of individual applicants, allowing them to augment the selection process and curate the individual interview day; and faculty mentors can offer concrete direction to every mentee seeking their help.

How to Make a Statement with Your ERAS Personal Statement

• June 29, 2023
• Reviewed by: Amy Rontal, MD

Dr. Leila Javidi, Taylor Purvis, and Dr. Brian Radvansky contributed to this article.

Starting your residency application can feel like an overwhelming task, especially when it comes to writing your ERAS personal statement. It’s not clear why essays of this nature are so intimidating—maybe it’s because not all medical students are well-versed in language arts, many of us dislike writing, or maybe just the thought of putting “who you are” onto paper brings to the surface some uncomfortable feelings of self-awareness (whoa—this just got intense!).

This is a joke or course, but to be honest, sometimes when we sit down to write our ERAS personal statement we immediately think things like, “I’m not that interesting,” or “I haven’t done anything cool in life, I’ve spent most of my time in school thus far.” And that is completely normal. The majority of us haven’t had those pivotal moments in life that shake the ground beneath us and form a new foundation for who we are, and that’s OK!

Your ERAS personal statement isn’t intended to be a best-selling memoir. It’s intended to add another dimension to the otherwise black-and-white application full of scores and grades. It is an opportunity to show program directors your personality, what motivates you, and what you’re looking for in a residency program.

While you’ve probably heard all of this before, we bet you have more specific questions about how to tackle the ERAS personal statement. All of us sure did! So, without further ado, h ere are answers to the 12 most important questions about medical residency personal statements.

12 Frequently-Asked Questions About the ERAS Personal Statement

1. How big of a deal is my ERAS personal statement to program directors?

According to the 2020 NRMP program director survey , 78% of program directors cite the ERAS personal statement as an important factor in deciding which candidates to interview,  making it the fourth-highest ranked factor behind USMLE Step 1, USMLE Step 2, and letters of recommendation. So, it’s pretty important in the grand scheme of your application!

Now, from experience in talking to different program directors and mentors, it’s clear that the most important thing is that your ERAS personal statement is well organized, well written, with proper grammar, no red flags, and that it’s only one page single-spaced. The standard ERAS personal statement length is typically 500-800 words (roughly four paragraphs).

A personal statement typically isn’t the “maker” of your residency application—however, it can be a deal “breaker” if it doesn’t have those attributes. That said, if you have a memorable, well-written personal statement, program directors will mention it, and it will make you stand out as an applicant. If they are on the fence about whether or not to interview you, a personal statement could potentially be the deciding factor. So, it’s pretty important!

2. What are things I should include in my ERAS personal statement?

A good ERAS personal statement should include the following: 

A catchy introduction to grab the reader

There are different ways to go about doing this, but if you’re stuck, an effective way to grab the reader’s attention is to open with a patient vignette. An interesting case is sure to pique the curiosity of your reader and keep them engaged as they read. Preventing boredom is something to strive for, as your application is one of perhaps hundreds that they are reading.

Ultimately, though, remember this is a personal statement. After you reveal the diagnosis or outcome of the patient vignette, you need to let the reader know what the case meant to you! The point of relating the vignette is to reveal something about yourself, not just present an interesting story about a patient. 

An overview of your desirable qualities

When letting the reader know what your positive qualities are, it’s important to remember a basic rule of good writing: SHOW, don’t tell. For example, instead of saying you are compassionate, describe a story from your life that demonstrates your compassion.

Highlights from your life experience 

This includes jobs, extracurricular activities, and hobbies that would help you to be an ideal candidate for whichever residency you are applying to. Pro tip: DON’T REGURGITATE YOUR CV. This is your opportunity to tell people things that aren’t on your CV. Do you play chess in the park every Saturday, or have you traveled to some amazing places? Tell us about it!

You shouldn’t rehash your CV in your personal statement, but it is a great place to elaborate on activities listed on your CV. It can be used to explain why those activities are so important to you, how they have helped you grow as a person, and other things that don’t often shine through on the CV itself.

Proof of why you should be accepted 

The most important part of your statement is providing proof of why you should be accepted. Describe your strengths, but do not talk about things too generally. You should be able to back up everything you say. Give details and examples. Which doctors have you shadowed? What kind of research have you been involved in, and where was it published? Don’t just mention that you have volunteered, say the names of places you were at and what you were doing.

Why you are interested in your specialty

This doesn’t have to be a profound story, but it should be the truth!

What you are looking for in a residency program

Is a strong procedural curriculum important to you? Is the culture of the program more important? Try to mention things you know your programs of choice embody.

Address any red flags on your application

Did you do poorly on Step 1? Did you take a leave of absence for a long time? Best to just come out and talk about it without being defensive. Show how you have grown from the experience, rather than apologizing for it!

A cohesive closing statement

Sometimes the first and the last sentence of the statement are the hardest to come up with, but it’s worth your time to make it tidy, even if it isn’t profound.

3. What are things I shouldn’t include in my ERAS personal statement?

Controversial topics.

Stay away from extreme religious or political statements. It doesn’t mean you can’t say you are an active member of church, but don’t use this as an opportunity to discuss whether or not you are pro-choice. You never know who is going to be reading this, and anything too polarizing can be off-putting for some readers. 

Feelings of bitterness or negativity

Leave out any traces of bitterness, defensiveness, or anger about anything that has happened in your life. Everything must have a positive spin.  

Too much self-praise or too much modesty

Avoid talking about yourself in a glorifying manner, but don’t go too far the other way and come off as too modest.

Too many qualifiers

You don’t want to go overboard with the qualifiers, which are words such as “really,” “quite,” “very,” etc. In fact, in many cases, it’s better not to use them at all. 

“Flowery” language you wouldn’t use in real life

It’s a personal statement, not a creative writing assignment. Keep the language in your statement simple. You’re not going to score any points by using unnecessarily fancy words. Your goal is clear communication.

Also, don’t try to sound like a doctor. This is just another way of trying to impress the reader. You want the reader to like you based on the way you write, not be turned off because you are trying to impress them.

“Try to avoid using a lot of jargon and abbreviations,” advises Mary Dundas, educator at Academized. 

Exaggerations

Avoid talking hyperbolically about how passionate you are. As noted earlier, it’s better to show than tell so give examples of things you have done. Above all, keep the writing in your statement professional.

If you avoid these common mistakes, you’ll be way ahead of most applicants! 

4. How can I make my ERAS personal statement unique?

As evidenced by The Voice and American Idol , it is everyone’s impulse to divulge their “sob story” to help them stand out and garner sympathy from the audience. While it’s important to include stories that helped shape you as a person, it is very transparent and cliché to talk about that person you know who was struck by a medical tragedy, and how ever since you vowed to “save people.”

The best way to make your statement unique is to allow your personality to shine through. Use your words, your humor, and your depth to tell your story. Find a way to show yourself to your reader, and if you do this, your essay will be unique!

5. Should I have more than one ERAS personal statement to upload?

In short, absolutely have multiple personal statements to upload. Especially if you are applying to more than one specialty, it’s essential that you have several versions of your personal statement.

That doesn’t mean you have to write a whole new one, you just have to tailor it to fit that specialty. If you’re applying for a preliminary year, tailor your personal statement to explain how important you feel a solid foundation in medicine is for dermatology (or whichever specialty you are applying to) and what you’re looking for in a preliminary year.

Furthermore, I found that for the programs I really wanted to interview with, I would upload a tailored personal statement for that program saying something like, “I am seeking a family medicine residency position with ABC University program because of their dedication to XYZ.” Simply name-dropping their institution and noting the strength of their program demonstrates your attention to detail and interest in their institution. Even if you are an amazing applicant, if a program doesn’t feel you are interested in their specific program, they won’t interview you. It’s best to make sure you give those out-of-state programs some extra attention so they know you are willing to relocate for them!

Lastly, you should know that you can upload as many versions of your personal statement as you like onto ERAS, but be especially careful when uploading and make sure you apply the correct personal statement to each program! Triple-check your work! Pro Tip: Use your file names to help you stay organized. Pick a format and stick with it, such as “PS-JohnsHopkins,” “USCF-PS,” etc.

6. When should I start writing my ERAS personal statement?

The sooner the better, people. Get cracking now! You can even begin to think of ideas during your third year as you develop your interests in specific specialties. As ideas come to you, jot them into your phone so you don’t forget!

One of the best ways to begin writing your personal statement is to go over some questions about yourself. Ask yourself, who are you and what drives you forward? Think about the kinds of things that interest you and why you developed those interests. Maybe consider some mistakes you have made, how you learned from them, and how they have changed you. Or ask yourself, how do your interests and personality contribute to the goals you have set? 

Think about those kinds of questions and write down the answers. Reflect on them, put them away, and come back to them. Then, use them to form an outline—this will help you figure out all your points and what you want to say before you start writing. 

If you still feel like you just don’t know how to get started, give the five-point essay format a shot and see if it works for you. In short, you begin with a paragraph that is about four or five sentences long. The goal of this first paragraph is to grab a reader’s attention. Use the next three or four body paragraphs to talk about yourself. Try and have one of them focus on your clinical understanding, while another talks about service. Then end with a solid conclusion paragraph that mirrors your introduction, summarizes who you are, and ends by looking toward the future. 

7. Should I ask for any help with my ERAS personal statement?

Yes. Yes. A thousand times, YES! Absolutely ask for feedback on your personal statement. After getting your draft finished, show it to whoever will look at it—however, please remember to take everyone’s advice with a grain of salt and to strongly consider the source. It is absolutely essential to have your personal statement reviewed by an objective third party to ensure that the message you are trying to communicate is loud and clear. This means that you shouldn’t give it to a friend or family member who is going to placate you with a useless, “Yeah, looks great!”

Find a mentor, advisor, chief resident or attending, someone who is accustomed to reading ERAS personal statements, and get feedback from them. You can be certain that going through this step will only make your personal statement better. If you take their advice and don’t like how things are panning out, you can always revert back to an older draft.

But in just about every case, another set of eyes to give you big-picture feedback on what you’ve written will improve your piece. Do this early in the process, when you have gotten a simple draft together, so that you don’t present someone with an idea that you are married to, only to find out that it doesn’t come through clearly.

Be sure to ask other people what they think of your draft, but be careful about asking other students for help. Sometimes they get weird, and try to give you advice about making your statement more like theirs because they want to feel justified in their own efforts.

Finally, it should be mentioned that there are services out there that will “write your personal statement” for you. Aside from the obvious reasons why not to do this, you have to be really careful. Those services don’t know you, don’t know your voice, and oftentimes have very generic ways of putting these statements together.  Using a service to help polish your statement, though, is A-OK. Some you may find useful in that regard are ViaWriting , Writing Populist , StateofWriting , and SimpleGrad .

Lastly, you may consider working with a residency counselor who can help set your application apart with insider advice and ensure you optimize all elements of the residency application process. Our residency consultants are residents and attendings who have successfully guided hundreds of students from residency applications through the Match!

Typical residency consulting work consists of:

Not sure if a residency consultant is the right fit for you? Take this quiz to see if you would benefit from some extra guidance during the residency application process!

8. Where can I find examples of ERAS personal statements to inspire me?

Every good writer learned how to write by reading the works of other people. This includes personal statements! Very often your career offices from your undergraduate studies will have examples of personal statements that can serve as inspiration for your own masterpiece. You can also ask older classmates and recent graduates if they would feel comfortable sharing their personal statements with you. 

Remember, too, that inspiration can come from nontraditional sources. Try reading poetry or a novel before sitting down to write your statement. You might be surprised by how it helps to get your creative juices flowing!

9. Is it better to cover all of my experiences, or focus on a few in particular?

It’s better to focus on several key experiences rather than provide a broad overview of your life up to the present time. Your resume will fill in any gaps for your reader. The point of the personal statement is to spend a few paragraphs reflecting on one or two themes that define who you are as a person. Stay focused, and go deep!

10. How much should I share about my career goals in my ERAS personal statement?

Remember, the majority of training programs you will be applying to are academic medical centers. For those programs in particular, make sure to emphasize why an academic environment is a good fit for you. This does not have to mean research! Perhaps you like the idea of becoming a clinician educator and want to be at XYZ program for the opportunity to teach medical students. 

Likewise, if you are applying to a program at a community hospital, make sure to reflect on how your career goals are suited for that environment. Maybe private practice is on your radar, or you want to practice in a hospital that is more close-knit than a large academic center.

Whatever the case, try to make your stated career goals align with the orientation of the program you’re applying to. In reality, you may have no idea what direction you want your career to go in. But for a personal statement, try to commit to one general theme if possible.

11. What about my personal statements for preliminary or transitional year programs?

For applicants who are also applying to preliminary or transitional year programs, it can seem daunting to tailor your personal statement to a position that isn’t part of your ultimate specialty. But don’t worry—preliminary and transitional year programs still want to know who you are as a person and why you’re interested in anesthesiology, dermatology, or whatever advanced specialty you’re aiming for. You don’t need to change your personal statement as much as you may think!

The goal of a personal statement for these one-year programs is not to convince the reader that you suddenly love internal medicine despite going into radiology. The reader knows this is a temporary stopping place for you. Instead, emphasize the traits that make you YOU and will enhance their hospital!

12. What if I’m interested in a non-traditional path after residency?

Some of you may be thinking of alternative career paths after residency such as consulting or pharmaceutical work. It’s probably best to leave those specific goals out of your ERAS personal statement and allow readers to assume that you want to continue in clinical medicine after graduating from residency. You might want to instead phrase it as something you want to be incorporated into your clinical career, but not something you would leave medicine for, even if that’s what you have in mind!

Remember, you are under no obligation to share your every thought and desire in a personal statement! These statements are being read by reviewers who dedicated their lives to education and clinical medicine, so keep that in mind.

Further Reading

Keep these tips in mind as you write your ERAS personal statement, and you’ll be way ahead of the other applicants. If you start to get stressed out, remember, you have an amazing story to tell, and we are here to help tease that story out from the confines of your brain! For more help, reach out to one of our residency advisors .

Looking for more help during the residency application process? We’ve got you covered with more (free!) content written by Blueprint tutors:

• How to Get Standout Letters of Recommendation for Your Residency Application
• How to Maximize Your Chances of Matching With Your Dream Residency
• What’s It Like Working With a Medical Residency Consultant?
• Residency Interview Tips & Tricks: The Ultimate Guide
• Dual Applying for Residency: Is It Right For Me?

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• Residency Personal Statement and Residency Match Articles

Anesthesiology Residency Personal Statement & Match: BEAT more than 2,400 Applicants

Become an anesthesia rank day all-star with these valuable tips.

Anesthesiology Residency Personal Statement & Match: BEAT more than 2,400 Applicants

Introduction

Table of Contents

Learning about Anesthesiology

Since anesthesiology is a specialty many students don’t have direct exposure to until the fourth year of medical school, it is important to learn about this specialty early in your medical education if you think it might interest you. This means trying to plan some shadowing with an anesthesiologist or within the anesthesiology department at your medical school during your first and/or second years. Some students will have a two week anesthesiology block of the surgical core rotation during the third year, however. The American Society of Anesthesiologists is a great resource for students who want to learn more about the field. However, nothing can replace actual exposure to the field and meeting a variety of anesthesiologists who work in different settings to know if the specialty is a good fit for your interests and strengths.

Anesthesiology Residency Length

What criteria are most important to match in anesthesiology.

RELATED: Beat 43,157 Match Registrants: Important ERAS Residency Personal Statement Tips

Is Anesthesiology Residency Competitive? (2020)

Anesthesiology is a residency that has two entry points. Some programs start in the PGY1 year while some start in the PGY2 year.

In 2020, there were a total 1,370 PGY 1 positions and 398 PGY2 positions offered. US MD seniors filled 68.3% of PGY 1 positions and 66.6% of PGY2 positions. A total of 1,201 US MD seniors matched into anesthesiology making it the fifth most popular specialty among US MD seniors.

For US seniors who chose anesthesiology as their only specialty choice, 4.8% of US MD seniors did not match and 13.6% of DO US seniors did not match.

US DO seniors filled 19.1% of PGY-1 positions and 16.3% of PGY-2 positions.

A total of 91 US IMGs and 95 non-US IMGs matched in to anesthesiology.

There were also 116 positions reserved for physicians with previous training in the 2019 match.

Allopathic US Senior Medical Students

Cumulatively, 2,004 applicants applied for 1,840 anesthesiology (PGY1 and PGY2) residency positions in 2018. Of those 2,004 applicants, 1,129 were US senior medical students. Only 45 US seniors did not match in to anesthesiology last year (four percent). Therefore, 96% of allopathic US senior anesthesiology applicants matched in anesthesiology.

This is the data for those US senior medical students who matched successfully:

• Mean number of contiguous ranks: 14.6 (444 applicants ranked 16 more more programs)
• Mean number of distinct specialties ranked: 1.3
• Mean USMLE Step 1 score: 232
• Mean USMLE Step 2 score: 244
• Mean number of research experiences: 2.9
• Mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications: 4.5
• Mean number of work experiences: 3.1
• Mean number of volunteer experiences: 6.4
• Percentage who are AOA members: 10.5
• Percentage who graduated from one of the 40 U.S. medical schools with the highest NIH funding: 30.6
• Percentage who have Ph.D. degree: 2.5
• Percentage who have another graduate degree: 15

Osteopathic Medical Students

Cumulatively, 2,004 applicants applied for 1,840 anesthesiology (PGY1 and PGY2) residency positions in 2018. There were 296 osteopathic applicants. Of those, 267 matched. Therefore, 90.2% of osteopathic medical student anesthesiology applicants matched in anesthesiology

The data for those osteopathic students who matched successfully:

• Mean number of contiguous ranks: 11.2
• Mean COMLEX-USA Level 1 score: 571
• Mean COMLEX-USA Level 2-CE score: 602
• Mean USMLE Step 1 score: 227
• Mean USMLE Step 2 CK score: 239
• Mean number of research experiences: 1.8
• Mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications: 2.5
• Mean number of work experiences: 3.2
• Mean number of volunteer experiences: 6.2
• Percentage who have a Ph.D. degree: 0.9
• Percentage who have another graduate degree: 25

United States International Medical Student/Graduate (IMG) Data

Cumulatively, 2,004 applicants applied for 1,840 anesthesiology (PGY1 and PGY2) residency positions in 2018. There were 192 US IMGs who applied for anesthesiology. A total of 122 matched. Therefore, 63.5 percent of US IMGs anesthesiology applicants matched in anesthesiology.

Below is the data for those US IMG applicants who matched successfully:

• Mean number of contiguous ranks: 10.2
• Mean number of distinct specialties ranked: 2.0
• Mean USMLE Step 1 score: 231
• Mean USMLE Step 2 score: 237
• Mean number of research experiences: 1.5
• Mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications: 2.1
• Mean number of volunteer experiences: 4.2
• Percentage who have a Ph.D. degree: 1.8
• Percentage who have another graduate degree: 21.6

Non-US International Medical Student/Graduate (IMG) Data

Cumulatively, 2,004 applicants applied for 1,840 anesthesiology (PGY1 and PGY2) residency positions in 2018. A total of 199 non-US IMGs applied and 120 matched. Therefore, a total of 60% of non-US IMGs anesthesiology applicants matched in anesthesiology.

Below is the data for those non-US IMG applicants who matched successfully:

• Mean number of contiguous ranks: 6.9
• Mean number of distinct specialties ranked: 1.9
• Mean USMLE Step 1 score: 240
• Mean number of research experiences: 2.3
• Mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications: 7.0
• Mean number of work experiences: 5.4
• Mean number of volunteer experiences: 3.9
• Percentage who have a Ph.D. degree: 3.6
• Percentage who have another graduate degree: 36

Looking for the raw residency match data? Be sure you click below:

• 2018 NRMP Match Results
• Charting Outcomes in the Match 2018
• Charting Outcomes in the Match for U.S Osteopathic Medical Students and Graduates 2018
• Charting Outcomes in the Match for International Medical Graduates 2018
• 2018 NRMP Program Director Survey

Need further inspiration?

• Reddit residency personal statement
• Reditt Residency
• Reddit Residency Match 2019
• SDN Residency
• SDN Internal Medicine

Who gets an Anesthesiology Residency Interview?

Based on the 2018 Program Director’s Survey published by the NRMP, the following factors were most important in deciding who to invite for an anesthesiology residency interview:

• Any failed attempt in USMLE/COMLEX

There is no question that a USMLE/COMLEX failure is a deal breaker for many programs. However, in our experience, this is “easier” to overcome if you are a US allopathic student. The 2018 Program Director’s Survey indicated that 66% of programs rarely consider an applicant with a Step failure and 35% never consider an applicant with a Step failure.

• USMLE Step 1/COMLEX Level 1 score

It is a fact of life that your performance on Step 1 or COMLEX 1 will impact the likelihood that your application is “screened in” and that you are invited for an interview. Many programs automatically screen out applications if the Step/COMLEX 1 score falls below a certain threshold. The 2018 Program Director’s Survey indicated that 88% of programs have a “target score” they like to see applicants earn. That cut off from most programs is between 210-220. By the same token, some programs automatically grant interviews for students with scores above a certain threshold. That threshold varies but is usually between 225 – 240 depending on the program. If you don’t do as well on Step 1 as you would have liked, take Step 2 CK early and do as well as you can!  The mean Step 2 CK score for US seniors who matched was 246.

• Evidence of Professionalism and Ethics

You might ask how your professionalism and ethics might be assessed based on your written application. Program directors glean information about your personal characteristics and traits from your anesthesiology  personal statement , ERAS written application, and letters of reference. This is why it is important to compose your personal statement and ERAS work, research, and volunteer experience entries thoughtfully. It is empowering to know that the outcome of your application season is, in part, within your control at this stage of the process.

• Perceived commitment to specialty, personal prior knowledge of the applicant, grades in clerkship in desired specialty, audition elective/rotation within your department, letters of recommendation in the specialty.

Anesthesiology program directors want to understand your commitment to the specialty and that you have adequately demonstrated that interest by doing as much as possible to learn about the practice of anesthesiology and gain exposure. You can express this commitment though your anesthesiology personal statement and ERAS experience entries. Of course, if you are known and well liked by a program to which you are applying, this is a real plus which is why away electives and audition rotations can be beneficial in the residency admissions process. This is especially important if you are less competitive applicant or you hope to train in a geographically competitive area. Letters of recommendation from anesthesiologists who know you well is also of the utmost importance. Ideally, applicants should have two letters of reference written by academic anesthesiologists. Additional letters from intensivists, internists and surgeons are also valuable.

Anesthesiology Residency Personal Statement

To demonstrate you possess the qualities, characteristics, background, and interest in anesthesiology that program directors are seeking, it is essential to write the strongest anesthesiology personal statement possible. You want to express why you are interested in the specialty, what you have done to purse that interest, and who you are as a person. Ensure that your personal statement has broad appeal for the wide variety of people who will use it to decide whether or not to interview you.

Read more about the  residency personal statement  and sign up for a  FREE 15 minute consultation  to find out how we can help you.

When should you apply?

The bulk of anesthesiology interviews are extended annually in October. Therefore, it is important to send your ERAS application in early!

Now, assuming you are selected for an interview, what factors influence how (and if) you are ranked?

Here’s the list:

• Interactions with faculty during interview and visit
• Interpersonal skills
• Interactions with housestaff during interview and visit
• Feedback from current residents As you can see, after the interview, it is your “interview performance,” interpersonal qualities, and how you are perceived by anyone and everyone you meet that will influence how you are ranked (and even if you are ranked) the most. This is why, no matter how strong an applicant you are, it is important to be comfortable with the interview process. It is also valuable to know yourself; are you an introvert or more of an extrovert? What types of social situations make you comfortable or uncomfortable? During residency interviews you will be meeting many new people and having numerous conversations with strangers. Be prepared! While your USMLE/COMLEX scores, grades, letters of reference and written application will still be considered after you interview, it is how you do on your interview day itself that will most greatly influence your rank position at any program where you interview.

What if you don’t match or you feel you need personalized help?

Applicants often feel lost, confused and overwhelmed by the residency application process. This is where MedEdits can help. We have helped hundreds of applicants match successfully. Whether you need a fourth year planing strategy, help with your personal statement, interview help, or any other guidance related to the residency match, we will make sure you are positioned as well as possible to match well!

Looking for an anesthesia residency program?

Check out our state by state list below..

University of Alabama Medical Center Program

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Program

Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science (Arizona) Program University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson Program

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Program

Kaweah Delta Health Care District (KDHCD) Program

George Washington University Program

MedStar Health/Georgetown University Hospital Program

HCA West Florida GME Consortium/Oak Hill Hospital Program

Kendall Regional Medical Center Program

Larkin Community Hospital Program

Cleveland Clinic Florida Program

Medical College of Georgia Program

Advocate Health Care (Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center) Program

Indiana University School of Medicine Program

Louisiana State University (Shreveport) Program

St Elizabeth’s Medical Center Program

Tufts Medical Center Program

Maine Medical Center Program

McLaren Healthcare Corporation Program

Beaumont Health (Royal Oak) Program

University of Mississippi Medical Center Program

University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine Program

Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Program

St Barnabas Medical Center Program

Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Program

University of New Mexico School of Medicine Program

Sunrise Health GME Consortium Program

New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital Program

University at Buffalo Program

Nassau University Medical Center Program

Doctors Hospital/OhioHealth Program

Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Program Osteopathic Recognized!

Oregon Health & Science University Program

UPMC Pinnacle Lititz Program Osteopathic Recognized!

Drexel University College of Medicine/Hahnemann University Hospital Program

University of Puerto Rico Program

Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital-Lifespan Programa

Medical University of South Carolina Program

University of Utah Program

West Virginia University Program

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Describing Oneself

What anesthesiology residency applicants write in their personal statements.

Johnstone, Robert E MD

From the Department of Anesthesiology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Funding: Institutional salary.

The author declares no conflict of interest.

Reprints will not be available from the author.

Address correspondence to Robert E. Johnstone, MD, West Virginia University, PO Box 9134, Department of Anesthesiology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506. Address e-mail to [email protected] .

Accepted April 12, 2011

Medical students applying for anesthesiology training through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) submit 1-page personal statements in which they describe themselves and why they are applying. Having read hundreds of statements over many years, I offer some observations on what applicants commonly write about, and cite examples from recent applications. My primary goals are to identify personal statements as information troves about the specialty, to observe what attracts students into anesthesiology, and to stimulate further review of personal statements. A secondary goal is to offer applicants guidance on writing better statements. A caution is that this guidance is based on my observations, and may not apply to others involved in resident selection.

ERAS facilitates residency applications by collecting multiple documents into one file that includes grade transcripts, test scores, evaluation letters, and other information, as well as a personal statement. Most applicants use ERAS, and apply to multiple programs. They pitch themselves to residency directors and admission committee members primarily through their personal statements, hoping to gain an interview. Students recognize their statements as important, to be crafted with care, because more apply than positions available, and because some programs are very selective.

Serving on residency admission committees for nearly 20 years, I have found personal statements to be rich sources of information, worth reading, and often enjoyable. Individually, they fascinate. Collectively, they describe the backgrounds, interests, activities, talents, and goals of future anesthesiologists, what they perceived the specialty to be about, and what its leaders want to read. With this in mind, I reviewed the personal statements of the 65 applicants invited for interviews at West Virginia University during 2010, a time during which I did not participate in resident selection, yet had access to the statements. This paper reflects generally on what I have read over many years, and cites representative examples from these 2010 personal statements. The Association of American Medical Colleges, which runs ERAS, permitted this examination, and the West Virginia University IRB exempted it from detailed review. Applicants quoted in this commentary granted their permission, with a promise of confidentiality.

ERAS provides few directions for composing personal statements beyond size limits and characters allowed. The American Medical Association (AMA) website, a however, advises applicants to answer 3 questions: 1 What got you interested in anesthesiology? 2 What are you looking for in a residency program? and 3 What are your goals as an anesthesiologist? Residency guides appearing early in Google Web searches often include variants of these 3 questions, b and most applicants attempt to answer them.

This paper is organized around these 3 questions, personal information included in the statements, writing style, and writing help.

WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN ANESTHESIOLOGY?

Personal experiences with anesthesiologists both before medical school and during medical school clinical rotations attract many students into anesthesiology. Of the 65 statements reviewed, 10 described influential personal experiences before clinical rotations, and 18 during them. These personal experiences, often poignantly described, ranged from surgery on the parents or children of applicants to surgery on themselves. The skills and competence of anesthesiologists awed youthful observers. “At the age of thirteen, I had undergone a simple surgery to remove a cyst from my neck. My mind was filled with questions …. An anesthesiologist entered the room with a comforting smile on his face …. With his compassion, he gained my trust that I was going to be safe and comfortable under his care.”

A typical clinical experience involved active participation: “I became a part of the team during preop and postop management, placed IV lines and laryngeal mask airways, and even intubated patients in the operating room …. I enjoyed every moment.” Performing procedures was the common hook: “Through my clinical rotations I learned that I also liked working with my hands,” and “The theme that resonated through every rotation was my desire to seek out technical procedures.” Twenty-two of the 65 essays included positive statements about personally performing procedures. Several applicants often described their nascent abilities or already acquired competences with procedures, and equated performing them with helping patients, earning recognition, and achieving personal satisfaction.

Many applicants found preoperative discussions with patients important and satisfying, and described their interpersonal skills and counseling abilities as reasons they should excel as anesthesiologists. Applicants often described fear and other emotions of patients before surgery and how a compassionate anesthesiologist had relieved and comforted their patients. They found the trust that patients place in anesthesiologists as evidence of professionalism in the specialty and a worthy career.

I am interested in the short term interactions that take place prior to, during, and after the procedure that is being performed. In this short timeframe, the anesthesiologist must gain the trust of their patient and be able to provide the information needed to place them at ease. I want to have the above responsibilities and know at the end of the day that I, along with the staff, did the most within our abilities to uphold the principles of beneficence and nonmalfeasance.

Other attractions to anesthesiology included the need to make decisions rapidly, their life-or-death importance, teamwork, the operating room environment with its attention to protocols and details, breadth of the specialty, and basic science foundation.

[An] aspect that I find unique to anesthesia is the minute-to-minute changes in patients and how quickly they can go from stable to unstable. It takes quick decision making and confidence to respond to such changes and I find this art of anesthesia to be the most exciting and rewarding.

(It is) a field that requires the practitioner to be in control and totally responsible for the patient.

When I saw the anesthesia supply cart with color coded drug labels, I knew I belonged.

No applicants mentioned work hours, lifestyle, income, employment arrangements, or job security despite studies that list these as important determinants of specialty choices, 1 an acknowledgment that personal statements are as much about personal marketing as revelation, about emotional connection as well as rational argument.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN YOUR RESIDENCY PROGRAM?

Applicants seemed to answer this question more from duty than from insight, often devoting 1 sentence to it. Some combined desired program attributes with their life goals. Some just restated their anesthesiology interest or personal skills. Others acknowledged their lack of sufficient experience to answer the question properly. “Although I do not know how I will choose to direct my career, I am looking forward to a residency program that is rich in resident education and clinical experience.” These answers provided little help in understanding the applicants, only their reading and writing abilities and chutzpah.

WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER GOALS?

Approximately half the applicants stated that they were embarking on a career, destination unknown. Many qualified their statements with “if,” “probably,” or “perhaps.” For instance, “After residency I have hopes and dreams of perhaps pursuing a fellowship in pain medicine and one day practicing in the South or Midwest.”

Many applicants just aspired to program admission, evidence of the current competitiveness of the specialty and their lack of sufficient life experiences to answer the question cogently. One wrote, “Given the opportunity to pursue this specialty I know that I can develop into a hard working and highly skilled anesthesiologist who looks forward to each day with the same excitement that was there since the beginning.”

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Most applicants enriched their statements with personal histories, usually as preambles or asides. These biographical anecdotes helped explain their backgrounds, qualities and styles, often making me want to meet them, with questions in mind. Examples:

I was born and raised in an ethnic community.

We had to start from scratch, I had to learn a new language, and my sister had her heart surgery.

I am an Italian-born, Christian, Israeli-Arab-American.

My father is a pediatric anesthesiologist.

My third year of medical school began with a Hodgkin's diagnosis.

Another favorite job was working as a front desk clerk for a small motel called Claridge Inn.

Applicants have fascinating histories, reflecting the diversity of the United States and those who wish to study here. Their anecdotes were humanizing and intriguing, and sparked more interest in meeting them than their presumed required answers to desired program attributes and career goals. Studies correlating elements of the abundant personal information with training and practice outcomes may provide further help.

WRITING STYLE

The AMA Website also advises, “Begin your essay with an attention grabber: a quote, a story, an anecdote, or a riddle.” Many students followed this advice, with results that seemed contrived, unrelated, or weird. Sample beginnings:

It was a cold winter morning, the air was dry, but the mood was bleak.

You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. Steve Jobs.

After reading numerous attempts at flashy beginnings and creative writing, I would advise applicants to try only if they have a flair for writing. Few science majors can compose an essay so gripping that it helps them, and few admissions-committee anesthesiologists have sufficient time to read and recognize them. Quotes from Mark Twain, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Rabindranath Tagore (Nobel Laureate), among others, were not as illuminating as simple personal statements. Beginning with bits of personal history seemed more compelling and memorable.

Last sentences are also important, commonly read during quick reviews. A positive ending usually left me feeling good, often uplifted, and positively inclined towards the applicant.

I may not know where I will be training yet, but I know with complete certainty that anesthesia is the most unique and fascinating field of medicine I have been involved with and I cannot wait.

Websites that offer advice on writing personal statements often emphasize that applicants should market themselves because of the competitive nature of the residency application process. c That applicants were selling themselves in their statements, however, was sometimes too obvious, even annoying. One egocentric applicant used the pronoun “I” 39 times in 43 sentences, making me hope that we would not work together in the same operating room for any prolonged time.

What some applicants thought might make them good candidates sometimes seemed naïve, even humorous.

I am comfortable manipulating sophisticated equipment.

I have been told by people who I work with that I am a good team player in that I help my fellow team members if I am done with my tasks.

Also humorous were overly flattering or heroic descriptions of anesthesiologists. These embellished realities, probably fantasies, entertained me more than they promoted the applicant:

“No”, He says with a firm voice, “There isn't time, we have to open her chest wound now!” Shocked, I say: “Here? Bedside?” Again he firmly answered “Yes!” That day he saved her life and I was lucky to witness it. He was the leader I long to be, the person with the right action at the right time. I saw him telling her parents what happened as the mother jumped and hugged him. That was all I needed to see, it was him who I want to be! A leader; a savior; a person who takes action.

I did find talented writing and attention-grabbing stories from applicants whom I then wanted to meet:

Help only came from the few safe houses that would provide a place to sleep, and guide us in the right direction in the morning. I recall falling off my horse three times as we tried to cross the cold, rock infested river …. With both feet blistered, my mother could no longer walk, and as I made it down with my sister, my mother lay down and rolled the entire way, determined to reach our destination.

WRITING HELP

More often than talented writing I found awkward wording, singular–plural mismatches, buzz-word nonsense, mixed metaphors, and run-on sentences.

I like to take full responsibility to simplify the most complex of situations for everyone on the team while engendering trust and establishing myself as the low maintenance intern who knows how to perform on and off the field.

Awkward writing seemed less frequent though than the number of applicants for whom English was a second language, perhaps indicating third-party help. The AMA advises, “find out if your school has a writing office, which can help you” and “have your program director evaluate/ critique your statement.” The Society for Education in Anesthesia advises medical students, “Obtain and read some previously written personal statements as examples. Identify styles that appeal to you and incorporate these when you write your own statement.” 2 Applicants can also help themselves by writing their statements as drafts, and revising them later when alert and happy.

Further advice is to be original, avoid plagiarism, and never buy an essay. Admissions committees are discovering that businesses will edit or even write application essays. They charge $49 to $525 for purchases of editing-only to “Personal Statement writing service plus CV editorial service plus Letter of Intent (all in English).” d Recent studies using software that detects similarities between resident personal statements and Web page material or previously submitted essays have found evidence of plagiarism in 2% to 5% of statements. 3 , 4 Although some of the 65 essays I reviewed contained varying styles and many had common themes, none was obviously lifted or faked. Such personal statements are likely to be screened in the future though by plagiarism-detecting software.

Personal statements in ERAS residency applications contain abundant personal information and interesting stories in which students describe themselves and their perceptions of the specialty. The writing quality varies greatly, enjoyable when good and tolerable when bad. The content helps us understand our specialty. To the extent that these essays reflect applicants and more broadly all anesthesiologists, we are diverse, enthusiastic, astute, professionally oriented, and patient-centered, and we enjoy performing procedures.

Meaningful interactions with anesthesiologists, performing procedures, the operating room environment, and the critical nature of anesthesiology attract many into the specialty. Applicants shine when writing personal statements that describe themselves, their backgrounds, important life experiences, and values, as well as why they are interested in anesthesiology. Their descriptions are best when they are simple, genuine, and positive.

ERAS could help applicants with their personal statements by providing more information and guidance, as well as appropriate examples. Program directors could help by describing how they will use the statements. Researchers could help by correlating personal statement attributes with training and practice outcomes, creating an evidence basis for advice.

DISCLOSURES

Name: Robert E. Johnstone, MD.

Contribution: This author designed and conducted the study, analyzed the data, and wrote the manuscript.

Attestation: Robert E. Johnstone approved the final manuscript.

a Gonzales J. Writing your personal statement. Website of the American Medical Association. Available at http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/our-people/member-groups-sections/minority-affairs-consortium/transitioning-residency/writing-your-personal-statement.page . Accessed April 12, 2011. Cited Here

b See for instance, Residency Statement Guide, EssayEdge, at http://www.essayedge.com/medical/essayadvice/course/residency.html . Cited Here

c See for instance, http://www.medfools.com/match/personalstatements.php . Accessed April 12, 2011. Cited Here

d Welcome to Perfect Personal Statement. Available at http://www.perfectpersonal-statement.com/order.html and Atrium Learning, Residency Personal Statement Writing, http://www.atriumlearning.com/PersonalStatements.php?cat_8 . Accessed April 12, 2011. Cited Here

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Residency personal statement: the ultimate guide.

Reviewed by:

Jonathan Preminger

Former Admissions Committee Member, Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine

Reviewed: 4/25/24

Are you planning on writing your personal statement for residency? We’ll cover everything you need to know about the process.

The residency application personal statement is an essential part of applying to programs, but it can be intimidating. We get it. It can be challenging to write about yourself and your life experiences within 3,500 characters. We’ll cover everything you need to know about writing a powerful statement!

Get The Ultimate Guide on Writing an Unforgettable Personal Statement

Importance of Your Personal Statement in a Residency Application

The importance of your personal statement in your application cannot be overstated. Yes, you have secured solid letters of recommendation from physicians and crushed your USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) .

However, your personal statement is the one component of your application where you can make a case for yourself and leave a lasting impression on program directors. 

Think about it this way: program directors receive thousands of applications From aspiring medical residents and review thousands of standardized, quantitative factors like grades and test scores across the board. They also read thousands of essays and want to see something that will pique their interest. 

Your personal statement is an opportunity to show program directors specific qualities that make you stand out and shine . Program directors want to know the person behind the stellar numerical achievements. 

They want to know that you will thrive, reach your greatest potential in their program, and continue to have an exceptional career as a leader in healthcare.

Because of how competitive programs can be, your writing may very well be the tiebreaker that leads to your acceptance into a top program over another applicant. 

While a strong personal statement might not compensate for low exam scores, a weak one will definitely hurt an otherwise strong application.

Residency Personal Statement Outline

Knowing what you should include in your personal statement will help you get started. Your statement should include and reflect on a combination of the following:

• What draws you to medicine/your specialty?
• The desirable qualities, attributes, and skill sets make you well-suited to a  program and will help you succeed.
• Your long-term plans as a practicing physician after you complete your program. This can include what you hope to accomplish in your residency and your preferred setting.
• What attracts you to a particular program, and how would it make you a good fit?

Ultimately, program directors are looking for residents who are the best candidates and colleagues to work with and train. Combining the above suggestions will give program directors a good sense of what having you on their team would be like.

3 Tips to Help You Start Writing

Here are three tips to help you get started! 

1. Consider Why You’re Pursuing a Particular Residency

Before you start your application personal statement, you should be clear on why the specialty you’ve chosen is the right one for you . Program directors want to know that you have a realistic idea of what the specialty entails. 

If your writing fails to convey solid, meaningful reasons for pursuing the chosen specialty, you will likely not be invited for an interview. Don’t hurt your chances by sounding disinterested in the field or focusing on superficial aspects of the specialty, like high salaries and benefits.

UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine urges you to “remember that this is your chance to focus on your medical career objectives, i.e., what specialty you'd like to go into and what your ultimate goals might be.” 

2. Brainstorm 

To begin drafting your personal statement, brainstorm. Brainstorming allows you the freedom to be creative and informal. When brainstorming, you do not have to worry about grammar, spelling, or editing. You want to write down your ideas and get your creative juices flowing. 

After you have a body of ideas, you can work on weaving one or several elements into a strong, concise narrative. 

3. Ask Yourself Questions 

The following questions will help you get started brainstorming ideas for your personal statement:

• What first drew you to the specialty? 
• What are your greatest qualities, and how have you demonstrated these qualities? Focus on a few desirable qualities for a medical professional during specialization.
• What is your greatest accomplishment?
• Name an experience, clinical or otherwise, that significantly impacted you. Why was the experience meaningful, and how did it change you?
• What obstacle, challenge, or failure did you overcome, and what did it teach you about adversity?
• When did you know you wanted to pursue your chosen specialty?
• What is your most meaningful extracurricular activity?
• Who are your role models? What qualities do they possess that inspire you to be like them? How does this translate in your chosen field?
• What medical cause do you care about the most, and what led you to care about it?

Remember, brainstorming aims to put down everything you can remember with as much detail as possible without worrying about grammar, sentence structure, spelling, or revisions. 

The more details you explore while brainstorming, the easier it will be to extract and expand upon the stories you want to tell.

How to Write An Amazing Residency Application Personal Statement

Now that you have completed your preliminary brainstorming, let’s review how to write a personal statement. Later in this guide, we will review samples of other applicants’ personal statements and analyze what makes them successful.

Start With A Catchy Introduction 

A captivating introduction pulls the reader in and makes them want to read to the end. Your introduction should lead with detail. Don’t rely on platitudes, clichés, and vague language . 

One way to accomplish this is to have an anecdote or two in mind that will be the central focus of your narrative. Then, introduce that anecdote while being aware of both brevity and detail. 

Focus on Things That Aren’t on Your CV

The personal statement should never regurgitate what’s already on your CV . Instead, focus on important aspects about you, your experiences, and your qualities that do not appear on your CV.

For example, if you have a hobby that demonstrates personal growth over time, tell a story about it and tie it together with your goals.

The Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine suggests that if you want to repeat accomplishments, ensure they’re “relevant to your personal/professional growth. You want the emphasis to encourage the reader to bring this up in the interview.” 

Talk About You and Your Desirable Qualities 

Program directors want to get to know you as an individual and what you would bring to their program. While this might seem like a no-brainer, it is important that your personal statement remains about you. 

Program directors often read narratives that include information about the program they already know and not enough information about the candidate. Shift your tone to reflect on what makes you desirable to the residency. 

When talking about your attributes, remember that quality is more important than quantity . Narrow your focus to one or two qualities, and work on incorporating them as part of your storytelling.

Make Use of Storytelling

Avoid generic and superficial declarative statements when you write about yourself and your desirable qualities. For example, don’t simply say, “I am empathetic and compassionate.” This is forgettable, and you will not stand out from all the other applicants. 

Instead, it is better and more memorable to show how you exhibited empathy and compassion by telling a story about a real event. Show, don’t tell. People will remember your name if you tell a great story.

Include What You Expect From a Residency Program 

Program directors want to know why you are pursuing their program and what you want to gain from the experience. Tie this in with nuanced details about what you have done to pursue your particular interests and how your interests will align with what the program offers. 

How will your interests and goals support their mission? What specific strengths will you add or hope to cultivate? Again, the focus should be on you and your expectations, not on over-explaining a program to its directors. 

Cite Strong Reasons to Choose a Particular Specialty

Clearly outline your interest in a particular specialty. Program directors want to know your understanding of and interest in a specialty. Highlight what you have done in your career to explore a specialty and detail some of your insights and observations. 

Perhaps you’ve researched the length of the residency and were swayed by it. Or you were intrigued by the nature of another one. The more details you can provide, the more persuasive you will be. 

For example, you might like acute care in emergency medicine but try to be more specific than that. What do you enjoy about the diagnoses and pathologies involved in emergency medicine? What do you enjoy about the patients in your care? What do you enjoy about the setting in which you will practice?

Include Your Personal and Professional Achievements 

Your achievements should demonstrate personal and professional growth over time. Your unique personal or professional achievement may not be listed on your CV. The personal statement is where you can delve into those exceptional and distinctive details about yourself that will set you apart from the crowd. 

Always uphold your credibility by being honest and authentic. People will pick up on subtle cues of inauthenticity. Remember, you don’t have to use your personal statement to convince someone of how perfect you are because perfection doesn’t exist. 

For example, if you achieve something with a group of colleagues, give credit where it’s due and don’t take the credit all for yourself. Remain true to who you are and the experiences you’ve had thus far. You don’t need to embellish or dramatize them to impress program directors. 

They’re looking for someone reliable, credible, and genuine.

Address Areas of Improvement on Your Application 

If anomalies are anywhere in your application, such as gap years or leaves of absence, address them with a brief explanation. You don’t need to dwell on areas that need improvement, and you shouldn’t provide long explanations or be defensive. 

It’s more important for your readers to see that you faced hardship but took steps to overcome it.

Deliver a Strong Closure

Lastly, end your statement with a punch. Don’t lose steam. Succinctly and naturally wrap up your story. You don’t want to end with a weak declarative statement like, “And that’s why I would be a great resident.” 

Instead, try to deliver a callback to your introduction and include the imagery and insights that bring everything together.

5 Things to Avoid in Your Personal Statement

There are certain things that you should avoid in your personal statement. As a rule of thumb, avoid topics and language that risk alienating your readers. Be aware of the following:

1. Acronyms and Jargon 

Avoid abbreviations, acronyms, and jargon. Don’t assume that your reader knows everything. Be courteous and spell everything out. According to The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), “If there’s a shorter, simpler, less pretentious way of putting it, use it.” 

2. Poor Writing Mechanics

Avoid informal, casual writing and poor sentence structure. Be professional and ensure your writing is free of grammatical and spelling errors. You don’t want programs to be distracted by errors while they read your story! 

3. Controversial Topics 

Avoid controversial topics like ethical issues, religion, and politics. You don’t want to make polarizing or offensive statements, so don’t cross the line. Even if the statements you make aren’t offensive, there’s no guarantee the person reviewing your application will agree with you. 

4. Rehashing Why You Want to Be a Doctor 

Avoid going into the origin story of why you wanted to become a doctor. You are not applying to medical school, so your personal statement should reflect deeper insights that support your professional and personal experiences. UCSF’s Office of Career & Professional Development offers this advice : 

“Presumably, new things have happened in the past four years that inform your decision to choose your specialty or career path, or that illustrate your dedication, leadership, and teaching skills, ability for empathy, etc.” Use these new experiences in your statement! 

5. Using Vague/Generic Language

Avoid vague and generic language. The most seasoned writers draw readers in with rich detail and nuance. Using descriptive language makes your statement easier to read and is much more likely to keep the reader’s attention. 

With these tips, you should be able to write your personal statement with ease.

Get Professional Help Writing Your Residency Personal Statement

Contrary to popular belief, writers don’t need to hole up in a dark room, slouch over a messy desk, hit a wall with writer’s block, and suffer in solitude. Ask for help! Even the world’s bestselling authors need editors. 

Your storytelling ability and writing skills will only improve when you receive editorial feedback from trusted professionals. Getting professional help on writing your narrative will get you closer to being accepted at your first-choice program.

Inspira Advantage is here for you. We are an admissions consulting firm with extensive experience helping candidates get accepted to their dream programs. An expert residency application consultant can ensure you get the support you need at every step while you write and edit your personal statement.

Residency Personal Statement Examples

​​Reading examples of residency personal essays that program directors consider effective is advantageous. Not only will you gain insight into how to structure your writing, but you will also learn why program directors and career advisors find certain personal statements more successful than others. 

We’ll review two good personal statement examples below. Please note that both have been anonymized to protect the authors’ privacy. 

Residency Personal Statement Example 1

Here is an ERAS sample personal statement: 

One of my most formative memories of medical school was a patient high-fiving me. A seemingly minute detail, that moment came as a culmination of spending hours with a neurologically devastated patient. At the young age of 40, he was unable to speak or even interact with any of the dozens of healthcare workers at his bedside every day. I felt helpless, yet compelled to spend my time talking and reading to him, and urging him to do simple things like turning his head. He suddenly dramatically improved, and it peaked when he gave me a high-five during rounds, after I had playfully asked for one every day for three weeks. In that moment, I felt elation that he was able to lift his arms and regain some ability and autonomy. Pride, in the healthcare system that I had chosen to be a part of. And surprise, that he had been hearing and processing my words all this time when he had given no indication of doing so. On that last day before transfer to a rehabilitation facility, he hung onto my arm and sobbed “thank you” while refusing to let go. I was so impacted by this patient because for such a long time, he was unable to communicate his wants and needs to the outside world. 

I believe medicine is the most fundamental form of equity and equality – ensuring someone’s health is the most elemental way to ensure justice for their being. As physicians, we are inherent agents of change, on both an individual and community level. I want to bring this to people all around the world – those desperately fighting just to survive and whose voices are not being heard. Global health is my calling – a consummation between my interest in humanity and my desire to heal historical traumas. This came as a lifelong dream after growing up on both the East Coast and Midwest, having been surrounded by large immigrant and refugee populations. My vested interest in global health has been reaffirmed through my experiences rotating at a children’s hospital in [city], Ghana, and taking trainings and courses aimed at decolonizing global health. Both in and out of my passion for global health came a natural attraction to med-peds. Both medicine and pediatrics have always drawn me in as they both afford me the opportunity to provide holistic care – fitting the puzzle pieces between physical, mental, and social health. Med-peds will also help me become the best trained and most adaptable physician for anyone, womb-to-tomb, in local and global medicine due to the vast fund of knowledge I will develop. 

One reason I best fit with med-peds is my adaptability and persistence. I have faced setbacks in my academic career, the biggest of which was after I failed a course during my second year and had to retake the semester. During a hiatus, I pursued independent sociology courses to expand my knowledge base. In the new semester, I developed new study techniques to truly learn medicine instead of just memorizing it. This experience helped me form a cycle of analyzing, changing, and re-examining the way I learn in different scenarios; I built on that methodology repeatedly as modes of learning changed, as evidenced by my step exam scores. I learned the value of reaching out, and I strived to become that person to lean on for my peers going through similar hardships. I am also proud that despite flaws in my test-taking acumen that I have worked on during my later years of medical school, I have always been able to readily apply my medical knowledge in the wards and clinics in a way that is reflected by my patient care. 

Furthermore, I see multiple sentiments of the med-peds community reflected in myself. Med-peds folk are mobilizers of change, always creating life-changing and systemic reforms – ideals to which I fiercely relate. I have done my best to embody the amplification of voices that I have seen so vigorously amongst my med-peds mentors both on an individual and community level. To that end, I have always prided myself on being a strong advocate for patients and acting as a loudspeaker for their voices. On a broad level, I started an organization early in my medical training called [organization name] which aims to alleviate food insecurity in [city], which has a complex racial history causing countless food deserts. I have been excited and proud to help [organization] partner up with local organizations and the student-run free clinic to expand access to nutritious foods. I learned to engage with religious and community leaders in [city] to build strong community relationships to sustain change. To address upstream causes, I am starting a voter registration drive for patients in my institution’s safety net med-peds clinic. These experiences taught me the strategy and logistics of organizing systemic changes and enlightened me to people’s powerful stories. 

I picture myself practicing a mix of both hospitalist medicine and primary care to adapt to any low-resource community. I want to establish continuity of care amongst those who need it most while also managing higher acuity situations. After rotating in Ghana, I hope to pursue a fellowship in global health after completing my residency. My first-hand experience exposed me to the unique conditions of disenfranchised nations that are not readily discussed in the US. I hope to utilize fellowship training to gain the critical knowledge and translational skills required to establish the greatest benefit. All in all, I am excited to use my experiences and skills to provide care to every type of patient, especially in low-resource settings. I am committed to amplifying the voices of the disenfranchised and helping navigate the difficult road towards better, more equitable healthcare. If, in the process, those voices come in the form of more high-fives, I would not complain.

Residency Personal Statement Example 2

Here is another example: 

It was not even the end of the first week of medical school, and I was fighting for my life — and the life of others. On September 19th 2017, Hurricane Maria hit and battered the Island of Dominica. I woke up the next day from a concussion after being thrown 20 feet in the air during the storm. This once lush island was reduced to brown sticks, live wires, and broken glass. I survived the storm, but the destructive aftermath was our new reality. 

During the evacuations and rescue missions, I solidified my purpose to become an Emergency Medicine physician. I joined the [EMS name], which was the only organized medical personnel available. One of my most inspiring experiences was the emergency medical evacuation of a six-month-old girl. This patient was an infant with untreated pneumonia. She came in with respiratory distress to our pop-up clinic at 1am. The child was assessed by the only physician on the island and her prognosis was poor, she was unlikely to survive the night. As a student, I realized that in these critical moments I want to be the first responder to aid and to make the best decisions for the patient. She needed to be on a ventilator, and we did not have the facilities or equipment to help the child, only the capacity to provide supplemental oxygen. With limited resources, we had to secure the airway if needed, and I was given the role to disinfect plastic tubing left on the ground. As we provided supportive care, we also organized the logistics of the medical evacuation – from security to cleaning a landing zone for the helicopter. As the helicopter finally arrived at 3am, the sign of relief was clouded by the debris inadvertently thrown towards us during the landing. Despite the difficulties, all team members were safe, and we were finally able to get the patient to a definitive center of care.  

To work in medicine, one must be able to function in a team. This event gave me first-hand experience of coordination of care. I was a part of this team for the little girl and learned the importance of delegating tasks, cooperation among members, and having defined goals. Moreover, I was tested to perform under pressure and think clearly. I have been able to translate these skills as I have moved forward with my education, always considering my responsibilities within a team in order to provide the best care. We found out that the little girl survived, and I could not help but feel relieved that our efforts were successful. At times, there is not always the end result that is hoped for however, it is important to persevere and act for the benefit of the patient. These challenges faced during the hurricane also reaffirmed my desire to address the needs of the population during emergency situations. I was exposed to making quick, yet thoughtful decisions in order to produce the best plan of action. These attributes are integral for patient care in the emergency room and I hope to continue to develop these skills as an emergency medicine physician.  

As my medical school journey continued, I experienced another challenge – completing my studies on a boat. We had no internet and there was limited space. I learned to cohabitate with four students in a 20 square foot living arrangement. We were docked at [country] during the night, but the school was at sea for four months during the days and we as a school were then displaced to various locations to complete our preclinical studies including [multiple cities]. The difficulties unfortunately continued, with the pandemic occurring at the start of my clinical rotations. The adversities of my limited learning environment did affect my academic performance and impeded me from participating in research opportunities. I struggled with trying to reset my foundational knowledge and had to repeat my third semester. Unfortunately, I shared similar setbacks in my USMLE step 1. I knew that my results did not reflect my abilities to become a clinician. I adapted and made appropriate changes in order to better my scores. I worked on expanding my medical knowledge by attending workshops, study groups, and taking extra time after class to talk to my professors in order to better understand the more complicated concepts. As a result, my clinical acumen improved. I strengthened my time management skills allowing me to study more efficiently, which proved successful as I bettered my Step 2 scores. I have learned how to study well despite distractions and this will be of benefit to me as a future physician.  

I did not have the conventional education as others, however the experiences that I encountered molded me into the individual I am today. My desire to help others brought me to the Ukrainian refugee camps as they faced a desperate humanitarian crisis during the war. I was drawn to volunteer this summer in [city] and joined the [organization name] to provide medical services to displaced civilians I wanted to improve people’s well-being through community healthcare services, medical care, and mental support. Having had my own experiences with disaster and crisis, I provided much needed empathy for those people who sensed that they have lost control of their livelihood. Being able to provide support and healthcare to this disenfranchised group of people was extremely gratifying. I continue to expand on my medical knowledge through my involvement in relief efforts and through my clinical education. I have learned to manage the external stressors of my environment, along with my academic deficiencies, by refocusing my efforts into robust translational skills. It is an important facet in my practice to take care of the welfare of the individual. Emergency Medicine would enable me to do so, providing a solid foundation to continue involvement in public health affairs and ability to impactfully respond to relief efforts. 

Medicine is a universal language that transcends borders, cultures, and languages. To know that someone is there to help you in your time of need, you do not have to understand the language they are speaking to feel that impact. Emergency medicine truly has no borders. The “ER” is a centralized area of care. However, as an emergency medicine physician, I will be able to apply my knowledge outside the walls of the hospital to the rest of the world. I want to be that healing hand, to help as many lives as I can – whether it be in global health or in my surrounding community. With Emergency Medicine, I can achieve that and protect those who need help the most. I hope to continue to pursue opportunities for community aid and patient advocacy as an effective first line of care. I want to not only be able to identify life-threatening conditions, but have the capacity to treat patients and provide access to the appropriate avenues for their continued care. I will always strive to be someone who runs towards people in need, never away. 

More Sample Residency Statements

Looking for more personal statement samples that worked? These medical schools also have examples: 

• University of California – San Francisco 
• University of Alabama School of Medicine 
• University of Nevada School of Medicine 

You can view these statements to better understand the tone and format programs look for.

If you still have questions about writing your personal statement, check out these frequently asked questions. 

1. Is It Better to Cover All My Relevant Experiences, or Should I Discuss a Few in Particular?

When in doubt, quality over quantity. You should always aim to focus on one or two themes and include a few experiences in particular. Never sacrifice depth and detail just to accommodate quantity. If you write about all your relevant experiences, their significance will get lost in trying to compete for attention in a limited space. 

It looks better to hone in on key experiences and provide depth, self-reflection, and nuance. Your CV should list all your relevant experiences, not your essay.

2. Do I Have to Write a Personal Statement for Every Residency Program I Apply to?

No, you should not write a different personal statement for every program you apply to, but you should write one for every specialty. For example, prepare one for family medicine and one for emergency medicine. 

You do not have to completely rewrite personal statements for each specialty—you can use elements that will work across the board, like introductory or concluding sentences. Use your best judgment of what will work as a template, then tailor your personal statement for every specialty. 

3. I’m Applying to Multiple Specialties. Is There a Limit on the Number of Personal Statements I Can Upload?

No, there is no limit to the number of personal statements you can upload. Your writing should be tailored for the specific specialty.

4. How Long Should a Residency Personal Statement Be?

The length of your personal statement can vary depending on the specific requirements of the program or institution to which you are applying. However, as a general guideline, most programs recommend that essays be approximately one page long.

Typically, a one-page personal statement consists of around 750 to 850 words. Your writing should be concise, focused, and well-structured to effectively communicate your experiences, motivations, and qualifications.

Final Thoughts

Writing a residency application personal statement is stressful, but our step-by-step guide will make the process much easier as you navigate your application timeline . Now go forth and match into the residency program of your dreams. We believe in you.

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My “Personal Statement” for Residency (And Tips for yours!) 

My “personal statement” for residency (and tips for yours), by #lifeofamedstudent.

It’s that time of year again! The ERAS application opening date is looming and by now many of our 4th-year applicants are starting to work on or even finalize their personal statement. To many, this is one of the most challenging aspects of the application. What in the world do I write about? How do I talk about myself? Do I make it flashy or boring? What should I include?

I wrote my personal statement in August 2012. I didn’t know the answers to those questions then. I still have no idea. I don’t really know what residencies want in these things. I don’t think most of them even know what they want and it definitely varies from place to place. BUT they all do know a really good one when they see it, and  even easier a really bad one as well. Don’t be a bad one. Bad personal statements are full of grammatical errors, arrogant, attempt to be too flashy, simply repeat the CV, or are full of exaggerations/lies.

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A good personal statement should complement your CV. It should in your words be able to show your personality and your desire to go into your chosen specialty . It should give examples of the what and the why: Why do you care about patients, what do you like about your specialty. And unless you are a very good writer (I’m certainly not), it should probably be a touch boring. I decided to add a clinical scenario to add some excitement and explain my draw to anesthesia , but other than that I kept it simple. It talks about mostly why I’m interested in anesthesia, tells a little bit about my personality, and ends with what I’m looking for and what I will bring to a residency. I wrote it in a weekend, then edited it for about a week. I had my sister-in-law, with her degree in English, proofread it twice. And that’s it. My personal statement likely didn’t get placed on the top of the pile, but I felt it complimented my application and certainly didn’t hurt me.

I applied to anesthesia residency and thus also needed a transitional year/preliminary year application as well. These are separate applications and can be separate personal statements. I choose not to re-write my statement, but I did alter the end to make it more suited for those programs. That’s a fair balance I felt.

And here is my personal statement, as it was the day I submitted it in 2012.

Personal Statement for Anesthesia Residency, 2012

Before I had even applied to medical school, I had a serious interest in becoming an anesthesiologist. Like many who go into the field, my original interest was peaked by my fascination with the phenomenal bio-chemical processes that are undergone each second in the human body. Throughout my undergraduate experience and completion of a chemistry degree, my interest in these processes continued to bring forward thoughts of a career in anesthesiology. However, several defining moments during medical school locked into my mind a definite desire to pursue anesthesia.

The moment I became set on anesthesia was during my ten-day anesthesia rotation at Riley Children’s Hospital. A young patient had been put under and was suddenly not responding well. Her blood pressure was severely depressed and perfusion had become so poor that the pulse oximeter was no longer able to detect saturation or heart rate. Once the severity of the situation was realized, many in the OR became obviously anxious and frantic – but not the anesthesiologist running the case. As the surgeons stepped away from the table, the anesthesiologist, cool and calm, began directing people to various interventions. I was instructed to begin syringing in tube after tube of albumin. Running through various algorithms of treatment, the anesthesiologist was able to stabilize the patient, and slowly the tension would leave the operating room. However, my awe of the calculated job the anesthesiologist had just completed would stay with me. The very basics of critical care – the “ABCs” of lifesaving – are the very skills that anesthesiologists are taught to master, even under great pressure. This truly inspired me to want to be the best at those “ABCs” which sound so simple, yet are so intimidating to many in the medical field. The fundamentals of lifesaving paired with the “hands-on” procedural approach to medicine in anesthesia solidified my desire to pursue this career.

While a passion to thrive in critical care situations certainly makes me a good candidate for anesthesia, there are several other characteristics I discovered during my 4th-year anesthesia sub-I that I feel will make me a great anesthesiologist. Organization and order, once a simple quirk to my personality, suddenly became one of my greatest strengths in the OR. Additionally, I have never been the type of medical student to sit in the corner and watch during my clerkships. I took great pleasure in assisting the nurses in the little tasks of patient transport or preparation and OR set up, which I’m proud to say seemed to make me a popular medical student to have around with the great nursing staff I’ve worked with. Likewise, whether it be organizing the various lines, tubes, and syringes of the current case, completing the required charting, or setting up for the next case, my hands were never idle. I couldn’t believe how fast the days would go and how much I would look forward to coming back into the hospital the next morning!

While medical school can teach a student the science behind medicine, I truly believe it is a doctor’s personality and character that ultimately determines his or her success with patients. One of my greatest qualities that will make me a successful anesthesiologist is my ability to quickly connect with people. At an orientation lecture on making first impressions early in my first clinical year, a speaker discussed how in general, anesthesiologists are among the best at making great first impressions. Hearing this was like a light bulb going off! Patients always seem to fear going to sleep more than the actual surgeon’s knife. Yet, an anesthesiologist may have but just a few moments pre-op to relax and instill confidence in their patients. What a challenging but impressive skill! Since that orientation, I have prided myself on mastering how quickly I can earn a patient’s trust. Enjoying the challenge of making a great first impression in the shortest amount of time is among the most important reasons that have guided me into the specialty of anesthesiology.

My goal during this application process is to find a residency program that puts an emphasis on broad types of clinical experience, so that I may one day enter practice with the confidence to tackle any case that may come my direction. Being from a small town in southern Indiana, eventually, I would very much enjoy someday practicing in a community-based setting in a mid-sized city that would feel much like home. While impossible to know the future, I am excited about the direction the field of anesthesia can take me. With that said, I promise to bring a strong work ethic, open mind, and friendly, easy-going demeanor to all the opportunities that lie ahead of me.

For Transitional Year and Preliminary programs – replaces last paragraph with this one.

While it is true that no student grows up dreaming of being a “transitional year” doctor, I have high expectations for my intern year and believe I will be a great asset to whichever program I end up at. While I may only be there a year, I’m looking for a place that will challenge and teach me as if I were a permanent part of their program. My greatest strength for my intern year is a skill I’ve realized through a particularly reoccurring compliment received during my various medicine rotations. This is the ability to be complete but concise, and especially efficient in the way at which I present and manage my patients. While impossible to know the future, I am excited about the direction the field of medicine can take me. With that said, I promise to bring a strong work ethic, open mind, and friendly, easy-going demeanor to all the opportunities that lie ahead of me.

Have an exciting medical story to tell or some advice to give? A unique background or path into medicine? Want to share your own post or experience with our followers?

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Share this:.

Really amazing personal statement. All my finger’s are crossed that you match into a residency of your choice 😀

Haha thanks! But you can uncross your fingers, I should have been more clear -that is 4 years old and I’ll be graduating residency in <year ?

Or I should read more carefully 😛 Main part still stands though, really great personal statement 😀

Hi!! Great personal statement…Thanks for sharing ? ?

Yes, thank you for sharing. Great writing!

Great personal statement! Very inspiring! I’m happy you’re already graduating!

Applying to residency and looking forward You got into med school and survived step 1 and step 2, you’re done taking shit from stupid scrub tech, and residents from specialties you’re not interested in; you’ve finished your volunteer project you were only doing to look well rounded and you don’t have to care about that student interest group you were in charge of anymore. So now, you’re sitting here reading this (and your personal statement for th 100th time this week), and come to realize that you are a day away from submitting a job application to work as a motherfucking doctor. And well respected adults with impressive job titles are going to read it and take it seriously, because you are serious. You’re not a goddamn fraud. You did all of the shit you were supposed to and you worked your ass off during all of it. Ever think about that in a year our college friends wiil still be talking about how to “adult,” while we are learning to be responsible for multiple other lives? It’s weird to think that these next few months are the last time we will ever not be doctors. Just think about that.

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• Tips for your Medical School Personal Statement (And a copy of mine!) – #Lifeofamedstudent
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	ANESTHESIOLOGY MATCH RESIDENCY PERSONAL STATEMENT
The Medfools Personal Statement Library is now open! These sample personal statements are here for your viewing pleasure (fully anonymous). We're hoping to add more in the future, including Pre-Med personal statements. If you've got one to add to the free library, don't forget to .
ANESTHESIA RESIDENCY PERSONAL STATEMENT "Career Change" My path to anesthesiology was not a straight one. During my medical school years my preclinical years favorites subjects were Biochemistry and Pharmacology, where I was fascinated with the world of human body metabolism. Later, I especially enjoyed my course in Pediatric Endocrinology. The intellectual challenges together with modern technical approaches seemingly unimaginable until recently, fueled my inquisitiveness. . Following my internship in Pediatrics, I joined a residency program in Pediatric Endocrinology. I thought at last I had found my place in the world of medical practice. However, it was only the beginning. As a resident, I worked in a hospital with children who suffered from thyroid cancer It was my responsibility to provide primary medical care and education for children and families suffering from hypoparathyroidism. It was one of the greatest pleasures of my years in residency to see how, after endless days in hospital walls, these children and their once desperate parents were learning again how to be just kids, and mothers and fathers and enjoy life. Discussing their problems openly with doctors made themselves more confident and hopeful with each passing day. In my second year of residency I received an offer to become the attending pediatrician for a group of twenty children with their parents at a rehabilitation center for victims of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. This decision would change my career path forever. In preparation for this, I requested permission to participate in treating patients in the Intensive Care and Anesthesiology Department. I knew that in case of emergency I would need to be able to handle many situations. I have also became more interested in the management of acute metabolic disorders. Working with a close-knit team of our surgeons, anesthesiologists, and endocrinologists also appealed to me. The first thing I was fascinated with in the ICU was that an anesthesiologist really appeared to be the only doctor in an OR responsible for taking care of a patient as a whole person. The problems of assessing preoperative risk, supporting life functions during surgery, and subsequently treating patients in the ICU were all complex difficult, and unusually interesting. These patients required the broadest clinical knowledge I could imagine and quick, but masterfully considered decisions. And, to my particular pleasure, it was possible to see the immediate results of almost every action. I felt that this job was full of energy and dynamics and has led me to pursue a career in anesthesiology. I've come to realize that my first and foremost duty as a physician should be to alleviate my patients’ pain and fear. For most people, the thought of being operated on seems unimaginably terrible, and an anesthesiologist's ability to accurately convey information to them while alleviating anxiety and making them feel looked after, is more effective than any known sedative. I also found in the ICU that I enjoyed working with my hands. Though difficult at first, I came to enjoy doing it and became more skilled with time. Not only did I understand how important manual skills would be for the adventure trip I faced, but also for my future career. I used every opportunity to train. My decision to pursue a career in anesthesiology is based upon my deep interest in clinical physiology and pharmacology and the excitement of working in a dynamic setting like the OR and ICU. In this particular area I have a special interest in Pediatric Critical Care. In the future I hope to join a Pediatric Critical Care fellowship and so combine two of my interests- pediatrics and anesthesiology.

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Typo and edit-ability of personal statements on ERAS

So, after certifying and submitting last night it came to my attention this AM that I had accidentally left an errata in my personal statement I had submitted last night. However it appears as though you can edit it even after applying? I made the appropriate edits just a moment ago, after paying for my transcripts to be sent at 10:45, is it likely that residency programs will only have had time to view my newest, correct, PS?

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