Medical and Dental School Personal Statement Workshop for students at the University of Texas at Austin

Medical and Dental School

Personal Statement

Information Session

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THE PERSONAL STATEMENT More than facts and numbers

Who will read your personal statement ?

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READ PROMPT CAREFULLY

TMDSAS- Motivation, Philosophy, Goals 5000 CharactersAMCAS- Explain why you want to go to medical school 5300 CharactersAACOMAS- No Prompt 4500 CharactersAADSAS- Explain why you desire to pursue a dental education 4500 Characters

READ DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR EACH APPLICATION

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WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT Why ?

What do you know ?

How have you tested yourself ?

What are you capable of ?

What is important to you ?

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Sample Essays These can be found online.

Use with caution, if at all.

No way to know whether those applicants were admitted because of or in spite of personal statements.

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PERSONAL STATEMENT INVENTORY Qualities of successful student and successful professional

Experiences and accomplishments

Challenges and hurdles

Mentors

Goals

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What the Schools Look ForPsychological maturityCharacter and integritySelf-disciplineJudgmentCompassion and empathyCommunication skillsConcern for othersIntellectual curiosity and enthusiasmMotivation and persistenceReliability and dependabilityResilienceAccountabilityLeadership skillsExperience and knowledge

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PLAN YOUR ESSAY Which qualities, skills, traits are demonstrated by your experiences and accomplishments? Relate your goals to your activities. Choose what you want to demonstrate to the admissions committees. Emphasize what isnt already obvious inyour application. Not necessarily unique experiences but your own thoughts and insights

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DOS Active voice Positive language Be concise and specific Spelling, grammar, and punctuation Logical order and conclusion Write about more than inspiration Use your own vocabulary

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DONTS Dont use humor Dont dwell on suffering instead of describing personal growth and wisdom Avoid controversial religious and political statements Dont write so much about your mentors that you dont have space for yourself

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Secondary Application Essays Opportunity, not just more work Complete the picture of who you are Questions vary If same as primary essay, use another example or go into more depth/detail If enough space, use standard essay format

MD/PhD, DDS/PhD

Reasons for pursuing a combined degree Your research interests and experience

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TMDSAS Optional Essays2500 characters each1) Unique circumstances or life experiences that are relevant to your application which have not previously been presented 2) Personal characteristics and/or important or challenging experiences you have had that will contribute to the diversity of or provide educational benefits to the student body

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OPTIONAL ESSAYSARE GIFTS Only TMDSAS has them More space Not just for hardships and obstacles Opportunity to write about important experiences from high school years and earlier

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TIPS AND RESOURCES Journals and notebooks Plan to spend a lot of time Revise, Revise, Revise Get feedback from people who know you UWC - Undergraduate Writing Centerhttp://uwc.utexas.edu/ The Elements of Style- William Strunk, Jr.http://www.bartleby.com/141/index.html

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QUESTIONS ??? Call our receptionist or stop by our front desk to make an appointment. 471-3172 PAI 5.03

The HP Advisors Drop-in Group Office Hours schedule is available at our front desk and on our web site under Services.

http://cns.utexas.edu/careers/health-professions

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