After reading dozens, if not hundreds, of essays over the stretch of a few weeks, I can say that program directors really enjoy the process of learning about who a person really is.
2. Cohesion: Tell a Story
In my opinion, the best essays tell a story, even if it is not classically a narrative that begins “Once upon a time.” Applicants may be tempted to treat the personal statement like an extended CV, rattling off a list of experiences, accolades and volunteer work without a thread to tie it all together. Although those details are unambiguously important, they need to be organized together in a meaningful way. A cohesive essay weaves disparate elements into a story that shows how the applicant’s experiences have shaped their path toward rheumatology.
As I mentioned, cohesion doesn’t necessarily mean a linear story, but it does mean the essay should feel connected, with each paragraph building on the one before. Whether it’s the story of how a personal experience with autoimmune disease inspired a career in rheumatology or how an applicant’s interest in immunology evolved during medical school, the essay should have a clear structure that leads the reader from one point to the next.
One approach is to focus on a central theme or idea that carries through the entire essay. For example, a hobby or passion may illustrate a personal philosophy or personality trait, which then translates to a central premise about how an applicant may be a promising rheumatologist. A story about a patient and how they influenced an applicant’s identity may help convey how an applicant considers relationships and makes meaning out of the world.
By framing the essay as a story, with internal logic and flow, the applicant gives the reader a sense of their journey, rather than just a series of disconnected experiences.
3. Originality: Add Something New
Program directors are bombarded with essays every season, and certain themes come up repeatedly, such as a fascination with autoimmune diseases or a desire to improve patients’ quality of life. That’s okay because the number of reasons that people get into rheumatology is limited. Indeed, originality doesn’t mean that essay writers need to reinvent the wheel or come up with something never before thought of. Rather, I would recommend offering a perspective or insight that isn’t readily available anywhere else in the application.
One way to achieve originality is by highlighting a unique aspect of the applicant’s background or personal life that hasn’t been adequately captured in other parts of the application. The addition of the impact statement has helped offload some of this, but the personal statement remains a vehicle to elaborate on elements of the application. For example, volunteering and civic engagement are always a plus, but I rarely get an understanding of how these experiences leave lasting impacts. The personal statement can help fill that gap.
