The Personal Statement for medical school is an opportunity for the applicant to describe why he or she wants to pursue a medical education. A good personal statement should include the following:
- Why you want to be a doctor
- What got you interested in this field
- The experiences that have led you in this direction
- Qualities that you have that would make you a good physician
- Demonstrate that you have an understanding of what the healthcare field entails
- Any personal struggles that may have affected your grades (if you have poor grades)
For osteopathic medical schools (D.O.) you should include some detail as to why you wish to pursue osteopathic medicine.
The character limit for the personal statement is:
- 5300 including spaces and punctuation for allopathic medical schools (M.D.) on the AMCAS application.
- 4500 including spaces and punctuation for osteopathic medical schools (D.O.) on the the AACOMAS application.
Related Topics
- The Medical School Application Process: Overview
- Recommended Books About the Personal Statement (Coming Soon)
- Sample Personal Statements
- The Secondary/Supplemental Application (Coming Soon)
