Personal Statement

The personal statement is an opportunity for admissions committees to learn more about your background, experiences, and personal and professional development beyond what can be captured through grades, test scores, and activity descriptions. 

It helps reviewers understand your motivations for pursuing a career in healthcare and the experiences that have shaped your goals. The essay also provides space for thoughtful reflection and creative expression that is often absent elsewhere in the application. 

Through your personal statement, you can highlight one or more impactful moments, demonstrate personal growth, and connect the varied experiences of your PreHealth journey into a cohesive narrative that explains why you are prepared to pursue your chosen health profession. 

While every health profession application includes a personal statement or admissions essay, the specific prompts and character limits vary by application service. Most essays ask applicants to explain their motivation for pursuing their chosen profession, reflect on formative experiences, and demonstrate their readiness for professional training. 

    • MD/PhD Applicants: In addition to the AMCAS personal statement, MD/PhD applicants must complete two additional essays: an MD/PhD Essay (3,000 characters) explaining their reasons for pursuing physician-scientist training and a Significant Research Experience Essay (10,000 characters) describing their major research experiences, contributions, and scholarly development. 
    • Many dental schools consider manual dexterity an important competency for future dentists. In addition to a Personal Statement, ADEA AADSAS includes a section where applicants may describe activities that demonstrate fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, artistic ability, craftsmanship, or other experiences relevant to manual dexterity (600 characters). 
    • In addition to the TMDSAS Personal Statement Essay, TMDSAS applicants are asked to complete one additional essay: a personal characteristics essay (2,500 characters) describing the personal qualities, characteristics, skills, or strengths they possess and explain how those attributes will contribute meaningfully to the lives of others. 

In addition to the essays listed above, some centralized application services include optional essay sections for explaining life experiences, disadvantaged status, or other special circumstances. Furthermore, many programs incorporate additional essay questions as part of their secondary or supplemental application process. Applicants should carefully review all application instructions and use each written component strategically, ensuring that every response contributes new information and helps admissions committees develop a more complete understanding of their qualifications and readiness for the profession.

Before you begin writing, spend time reflecting on why you want to pursue your chosen health profession. One helpful exercise is to write down the impact you hope to have as a future healthcare professional. Then ask yourself why that impact matters to you and which experiences have shaped that goal. Remember, your goal is not to tell your entire life story or summarize your resume. Instead, identify a few meaningful experiences that help explain your motivation, growth, and readiness for the profession. Be sure to review the AAMC Core Competencies to help connect your experiences to your profession of choice. Start writing early and build dedicated writing time into your schedule.  

The Personal Statement Workbook is designed to help you brainstorm ideas, develop an outline, and begin drafting your personal statement. This resource is especially helpful if you are unsure where to begin or are looking for guidance throughout the writing process.

A strong personal statement is specific, reflective, and professional. Rather than simply listing accomplishments or experiences, use your essay to demonstrate how meaningful moments have shaped your motivation and preparation for a career in healthcare. Aim for a well-organized essay that flows naturally from paragraph to paragraph and is anchored by a clear central theme. Use direct, active language and vivid details to help the reader see through your eyes and understand the significance of your experiences. Throughout your essay, prioritize depth over breadth, focusing on thoughtful reflection rather than trying to include every clinical, research, or service experience.

As you write, avoid common pitfalls such as relying on generic or interchangeable examples, overusing quotations that overshadow your own voice, complaining about jobs, supervisors, courses, or institutions, attempting to summarize your entire resume, or using vague descriptions that leave room for misinterpretation. Similarly, avoid excessive self-promotion, losing sight of the prompt, or relying on common clichés and overused healthcare narratives. 

If you choose to discuss personal challenges, hardships, or sensitive experiences, do so thoughtfully. Consider whether the experience was an important part of your journey to your chosen profession, what it taught you about yourself, how it relates to your future practice as a healthcare professional, and how it may be perceived by a diverse audience. Also consider whether the information is most appropriate for a personal statement or whether it may be better suited for an interview or future conversation. When discussing challenges, focus on the growth, resilience, insight, and skills you gained rather than the hardship itself. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a useful tool for brainstorming themes, organizing ideas, or identifying grammar and formatting issues. However, your personal statement should reflect your own experiences, reflections, and writing style. Admissions committees are interested in understanding you—not content generated by artificial intelligence. Use AI as a tool to support your writing process, not as the author of your essay. More information on this can be found in the AMCAS Applicant Guide. 

Strong personal statements are developed through multiple drafts, revisions, and periods of reflection. Read your essay aloud to assess flow and clarity, and do not rely solely on spellcheck or grammar software. Share your statement with trusted mentors, advisors, faculty members, or writing specialists to gather feedback and identify areas for improvement. While outside feedback can be valuable, ensure your authentic voice remains at the center of the essay. Before submitting, step away from your essay for a few days and revisit it with fresh eyes. Confirm that it accurately reflects your experiences, answers the prompt, and complies with all formatting and character requirements. Save a final copy for your records and keep a backup in a secure location. 

  • During your Application Readiness Meeting (ARM), your PMPH Advisor will provide thoughtful feedback on your personal statement. To make the most of this conversation, be sure to include a complete draft of your essay in your Mock Application. If you revise your personal statement after submitting your Mock Application but before your ARM, email the updated version to your advisor at least one week before your scheduled meeting. Because advisors prepare for your ARM using the materials submitted in your Mock Application, we strongly encourage you to submit the most complete and polished version of your personal statement possible. 
  • The Northeastern University Writing Center offers free, one-on-one writing support for Northeastern students, staff, faculty, and alumni, both in person and online. This is a valuable resource to utilize if you need assistance brainstorming ideas and determining what you want to convey in your personal statement for your Mock Application. The Writing Center can also provide guidance on specific writing questions or concerns, such as using direct and personal language, organizing your statement effectively, maintaining a consistent narrative, or revising drafts after receiving feedback from your PMPH Advisor.