After you finish your brainstorming document, you may feel tempted to start drafting your Personal Statement. But, hold off. Instead, develop an outline for your essay that highlights your most poignant and pivotal moments. An outline will make writing way easier, we promise, as the hardest part of writing a Personal Statement can be deciding on the structure. Outlining will save you time and stress.
During this process, we encourage you to think like a storyteller rather than an academic. One of the goals of your writing is to inform, but it is equally important to engage your reader and get them personally invested in your journey. You might even take a cue from an action movie. When the lights go down and the curtain goes up, you see the star in a sports car going full throttle. What you don’t know, immediately, is who or where they are. Similarly, narrative writing does not have to be linear. After leading with an attention-grabbing scene, you can go back and provide additional context and information on what’s missing.
There is no one essay format to follow. That said, there are some ideal beats to hit, and you might hit them in this order:
Event/Problem: Show us you in action. Set the scene: Is it a high-stress experience? A significant interaction? An unforgettable, formative moment?
Context/Background Info: Who are you in this scenario? How did you get here? What are your responsibilities and greatest challenges in this role/scene?
Re-engagement: This is the heart of the essay. You've introduced the problem and yourself. Now, take us back to the anecdote. Show your critical and creative thinking, empathy, or collaboration. Delve into the complexities of solving a problem. Sometimes there isn't a solution or grand finale. That's okay. You just want to make it clear why this is the scenario you opened with—why this was meaningful to you. And you don't have to bang the reader over the head with claims of your best qualities; you want to show them those qualities through your story.
Takeaway/Reflection: What did you learn via your experience? How did it change you? This should show that you’re dedicated to growth, self-awareness, and your values, and where these things could take you.
Conclusion: How did this experience reinforce your commitment to the study of medicine?
Related: Laying the Foundation for Your Med School Application: Build a Brainstorm Document