On Wednesdays, I was the only visitor for Jorge, an elderly patient in the AIDS and Tropical Disease Ward at Carlos III Hospital in Madrid. A native of Equatorial Guinea, Jorge had full-blown AIDS. He had been living in Spain illegally because, according to Jorge, his country lacked enough resources and trained doctors to provide adequate treatment. Over several weeks, I witnessed his losing battle, not only with a terminal illness but also with cultural incongruence and a continual feeling of unease, thousands of miles away from home. Talking with Jorge during my experience as a volunteer for the NGO Solidarios Para el Desarollo in the fall of 2001 led me to question the justice of health care discrepancies that make it so difficult for people like Jorge to get sufficient treatment in underdeveloped nations. Jorge was a victim of health care inequality, a subject that has been at the forefront of my mind since enrolling in “Race and Medicine in America” during my sophomore year. The course revealed the historically poor distribution of quality medical attention and how treatment continually evades socio-economically disadvantaged communities. In the US, I understood how a national shortage of physicians and unlikely prospects of financial gain has caused few doctors to take an interest in these communities, leaving a diminishing level of access to services and expertise. This unfortunate reality inspired me to take an interest in treating these populations in hopes of helping to improve the care for our country’s poor and underserved. Jorge’s story broadened my perspective, as I further realized that this need is exponentially worse in developing nations. Combining my studies and real-world experience strengthened my desire to practice medicine focused on treating underserved populations, nationally and abroad. In pursuit of my goal, I sought additional exposure to medical conditions in the developing world. During the summer of 2002, I contributed to Ghana's public health research initiative. My research on malaria infectivity in and around the capital city, Accra, sent me to shanty town communities with poor hygiene and chronic illness. It gave me yet another perspective on the impact of economic disparity on health outcomes and treatment options. Exorbitant patient volume and endemic disease are but a few obstacles to doctors serving these communities and trying to provide quality care. Despite these difficulties, I witnessed skilled physicians performing complex procedures in substandard conditions in this setting. At the KOFM Anokye Teaching Hospital in the urban village of Kumasi, I scrubbed in during the removal of an osteosarcoma tumor from a man’s jaw and an ileostomy, where I saw a scalpel used as a screwdriver and doctors working in a hot ward with minimal ventilation and only basic amenities. These resourceful doctors were still able to perform, reaffirming my expectation that the addition of well-trained doctors can make a marked difference despite complications. I began to understand how, by taking my medical school training to such environments, I could serve as an intermediary - bringing first-world knowledge into a third-world context. Since my time in Ghana, I have continued participating in healthcare projects in poor communities. During the summer of 2003, I conducted research in an obstetrics ward of a public hospital in Sao Paulo. The following fall, I participated in an infectious disease initiative that brought medical attention to the impoverished suburbs of Lima, Peru. I recently worked at a bilingual health clinic in Chicago, serving a primarily Latino immigrant community. With each experience, I gained a deeper understanding of the complementary skills necessary to make a real difference. I have learned that medical knowledge, cultural understanding, and political savvy are critical components of a comprehensive approach to community health care and development and are skills possessed by the most influential contributors to positive change. I continue to hone my language skills in anticipation of serving Spanish and Portuguese-speaking populations. I am building an understanding of working in a complex funding environment and linking medical treatment with public policy. I wish to pursue my medical training and a master's in public health to improve access to health care and serve as an effective physician. My desire to perform public medical service developed from concern and sympathy for people needing medical care, specifically those with the least access. I further recognize the importance such compassion plays in effective communication between doctors and their patients. My childhood doctor is my foremost role model, they won my trust because he combined understanding with a calm demeanor and medical expertise. As I strive to bring better health care to underserved populations, I hope to do so with the same personal care and attention. Medical School Personal Statement, Africa, Research

Introduction: Internal Medicine Residency Personal Statement Internal Medicine is a diverse and rewarding specialty that offers numerous opportunities for physicians to make a meaningful impact on patients' lives. For those interested in subspecialties like Endocrinology and Diabetes, crafting a personal statement that highlights your passion, experience, and goals is crucial. In this blog post, we present a sample personal statement from a candidate who has dedicated her life to medicine and aims to make a significant contribution to the field of Internal Medicine. We will break down the key elements of this statement and offer insights for aspiring residents. Background and Early Inspiration I was born, raised, studied, and qualified in India and have been in the US since May 2010, gaining clinical experience. I am especially interested in Internal Medicine and seek to complete a residency in that specialty to return to India to open a hospital offering high-quality but low-cost care to disadvantaged communities. Influence of Family and Education I was fortunate to be born into a prosperous family with a doctor's father who was dedicated to his patients and has been an inspirational figure throughout my life. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a doctor, too, and I have never wavered in this decision; I have always considered medicine to be much more a vocation than a mere career choice. Academic Excellence and Research Interests I excelled in my studies and was awarded the MBBS degree with high marks this year, and I have published research. I stand at the outset of my medical career with high hopes of doing as much good in the world as possible by acquiring and applying advanced medical skills and knowledge. Passion for Internal Medicine and Patient Care I can realize my goals by specializing in Internal Medicine and being exposed to the most advanced techniques and equipment. I want to be at the ‘front line,’ in direct contact with various patients and conditions. I am particularly interested in the diagnosis and diagnostic techniques I know I can develop in this specialty. I understand that a suitable ‘bedside manner’ is vital in Internal Medicine, and I have this skill and wish to develop it further. I have also become aware in my career to date of the importance of non-verbal communication when dealing with distressed or anxious patients. I hope to develop my facility for interpreting and reacting appropriately to such signals. Commitment to Research and Teaching I hope to undertake research in Endocrinology, especially Diabetes and Critical Care. My career dream would be to discover the definitive treatment for Diabetes. I also hope to be involved in teaching in the future; I am a qualified ACLS trainer. I received excellent feedback from my trainees and consider that I have some talent for passing on knowledge and thoroughly enjoy doing so. Learning from Early Clinical Experiences My very first patient died. All the theory and training did not prepare me to witness the death of a 12-year-old boy, the cherished son of poor peasant parents who reacted with visceral distress to his loss. It was an excellent lesson for me. If I had ever been tempted to regard patients as mere ‘bundles of symptoms, this event cured me of the idea. I know that each patient is an individual worthy of my respect and consideration. Volunteer Work and Extracurricular Activities I have undertaken volunteer work amongst low-income school pupils and their families in Vijayawada, India, where I completed a study of the nutritional status of the children. I provided them and their families with basic information about hygiene and how to retain and enhance nutrients when cooking food. This was an enriching and moving experience and one that, I am confident, has provided substantial benefits for the families. I presented a paper on this work, for which I was awarded second place in a national competition. While studying, I was also heavily involved in organizing and participating in numerous medical-related extracurricular activities to broaden and deepen my knowledge and enable my fellow students to do so. I am fully aware of the need for cultural awareness and sensitivity in healthcare provision. I now have some experience in the medical environment in the US and have thoroughly enjoyed my time here, interacting with people of many diverse social and cultural backgrounds. Conclusion and Commitment to Residency Internal Medicine is my first love. While there will be many other well-qualified applicants for residency programs, I consider myself an exceptional candidate. I have obtained high marks in my MBBS degree and have been awarded significant honors for academic excellence and specialist studies. The extent and breadth of my extracurricular activities indicate my willingness to ‘go that extra mile' to do whatever I can for my patients. I also believe that, because of my skills and interests, I have the potential to become an excellent Internist. I ask for a chance to give my all. Analysis of the Internal Medicine Residency Personal Statement Background and Early Inspiration : The applicant begins by outlining her background and long-term goals. Her desire to return to India and provide affordable care to underserved communities is a powerful motivator that adds depth to her application. This section establishes her commitment to making a difference in the world through medicine. Influence of Family and Education : The applicant reflects on the influence of her father, a dedicated physician, which inspired her to pursue a career in medicine. She emphasizes that her passion for medicine is not just a career choice but a lifelong vocation. This personal narrative adds authenticity to her dedication to Internal Medicine. Academic Excellence and Research Interests : The applicant highlights her academic achievements and research experience, positioning herself as a candidate with strong intellectual capabilities. She expresses a desire to contribute to medical research, particularly in Endocrinology and Diabetes, indicating her commitment to advancing the field. Passion for Internal Medicine and Patient Care : The applicant discusses her passion for Internal Medicine, focusing on the variety of patient interactions and the diagnostic challenges that the specialty offers. She emphasizes her desire to develop her skills in patient communication, particularly in interpreting non-verbal cues, which is crucial in patient care. Commitment to Research and Teaching : This section highlights the applicant’s specific interest in Endocrinology and Diabetes, areas where she hopes to make a significant impact through research. She also mentions her experience as an ACLS trainer, showing her enthusiasm for teaching and passing on knowledge to others. Learning from Early Clinical Experiences : The applicant shares a poignant experience from her early medical career that taught her the importance of viewing patients as individuals rather than just cases. This story adds emotional depth to her statement, showing her growth and the humanistic approach she brings to medicine. Volunteer Work and Extracurricular Activities : The applicant discusses her volunteer work, which involved providing health education to disadvantaged communities. She also mentions her involvement in medical-related extracurricular activities, demonstrating her commitment to going beyond the classroom to make a difference. Conclusion and Commitment to Residency : The personal statement concludes with a confident assertion of the applicant’s qualifications and passion for Internal Medicine. She highlights her academic achievements, extensive experience, and dedication to patient care, making a strong case for her candidacy. Overall Assessment Strengths: The applicant’s statement is well-rounded, combining personal experiences, academic achievements, and a clear passion for Internal Medicine, particularly in the areas of Endocrinology and Diabetes. Her commitment to returning to India to serve disadvantaged communities adds a compelling and unique dimension to her application. Areas for Improvement: The statement could benefit from more specific examples of her clinical experience in the US and how it has prepared her for the challenges of a residency program. Including detailed accounts of patient cases or research projects would further strengthen her application. FAQs on Writing Internal Medicine Residency Personal Statements What should I include in my Internal Medicine residency personal statement? Highlight your clinical and research experience, passion for the specialty, and how your background aligns with the goals of the residency program. How can I make my personal statement stand out? Use personal stories that demonstrate your dedication to patient care, your interest in specific subspecialties like Endocrinology or Diabetes, and your long-term career goals. Additional Resources and Contact Information For more Internal Medicine residency personal statement examples and expert editing services, visit our website or contact us directly. Our team is here to help you craft a personal statement that showcases your strengths and sets you apart in the application process. Internal Medicine Residency Personal Statement

The litter bearers burst through the triage area doors from the dusty Afghanistan night carrying three soldiers injured in an IED blast. The tent that housed the trauma bay hummed intensely yet somberly as the medical staff began evaluating the casualties. My trauma shears ripped through the soldier’s charred uniform while I performed an initial assessment of the loss with the attending physician. The soldier was severely burned due to the blast. He was unconscious, suffering from a compromised airway, and his skin was peppered with shrapnel. I attached monitoring equipment, started a peripheral line, and cleaned the burns that blanched most of the soldier’s upper body. Through the synchronized chaos of surgeons directing treatment, anesthetists intubating, and nurses administering initial medications, I understood the fluid relationship between the levels of the medical hierarchy. I became part of an intricate communication network and the demanding process of saving a life. Nothing has been more rewarding than serving my fellow soldiers and the local Afghan community during my overseas deployment. Working in a combat support hospital under the personalized mentorship of cardiothoracic, orthopedic, and general surgeons allowed me to learn about long and short-term care, diagnosis processes, and proactive medical treatment in trauma situations. After serving in a combat zone, I realized life is the most magnificent and powerful force. It compels us to bridge language and cultural barriers, the common denominator amongst all human beings. My priority as a physician will be the preservation of what is most precious to us all. The impetus for pursuing a career as a physician began during my involvement in the Minority Medical Education Program (MMEP) in the summer of 2001 at Yale University, where I participated in a rigorous eight-week program that mirrored the experience of a first-year medical student. The curriculum focused on writing and communication skills, medical ethics, and core science knowledge. Additionally, the program encouraged team building, small group discussions about current medical developments, and molding the future of healthcare. I received close mentorship from the first through the fourth year at Yale, during the MMEP, and opportunities to shadow physicians in the New Haven Hospital emergency room, oncology ward, and cardiology department. The MMEP shaped my focus as a young student aspiring to inherit the future of medicine and provided me with realistic expectations for my lifelong pursuit of medical knowledge. During the MMEP, I found joy in the practical application of my undergraduate studies and an appreciation for the dynamicity of my forthcoming medical education. The following summer, I participated in the Infectious Diseases Undergraduate Research Program at the University of Iowa. Over eight weeks, I studied trends of nosocomial versus community-acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSRA) infections at 140 statewide long-term care facilities. I used pulse-field gel electrophoresis to categorize and group different strains of MSRA taken from patients at the other facilities and track prevalence patterns. The summer-long project added perspective to the obligations and responsibilities of being a physician. At the culmination of the eight weeks, I understood the importance of medical research and the interdependency between the laboratory and clinical realms. I realized that it is critical to be immersed in medical literature and foster an atmosphere encouraging aggressive medical research. I also learned that the term “medical community” signifies a constant discourse between the many facets of medicine. The commission of every physician is to juxtapose ideas, plans, and research with the unified goal of improving the quality of life. Lastly, when I think of the role of a physician, I am reminded of the suggestion by Robert Browning that “a man’s reach should exceed his grasp.” The face of healthcare is constantly changing. The medical field needs professionals with imagination and vision. My vision dictates that I contribute to fulfilling that necessity, and I will provide the same quality of care I received. Thank you for considering my application to your Medical School program. Sample Personal Statement Admission to Medical School

I energetically clap my hands as we chant in unison, "Ooh, I feel so good, like, I knew I would... Ooh, I feel SO GOOD!" This has been our weekly ritual for the last three years: me in a circle of women prisoners at the Rhode Island Correctional Facility, yelling at the top of our lungs while a Corrections Officer stands outside the door. As our chants reverberate off the empty walls, Cherry, a pregnant inmate who has been in this facility most of her adult life, takes the lead, and we echo her moves. When I "go inside," I forget where I am; the women are eager to clip pictures for a collage, learn West African dance steps that I perform at Brown, or author poems on romance or motherhood. Enclosed by locks and patrolled by guards, I help inmates find a way to escape through artistic expression; their enthusiasm affirms the importance of my role as a facilitator of art and writing workshops with SPACE, Space in Prisons for Arts, and Creative Expression. I, in turn, am humbled by the poems and artwork the women produce as the workshops provide a creative outlet to express their unique stories. Sitting alone with forty unexamined boxes in the Brown University archives, I was reminded of my experiences with the SPACE program. I began to appreciate the importance of having a medium for relaying untold stories. While researching the oft-praised fifty-year-old cooperation between Brown University and Tougaloo College, a historically Black private school in rural Mississippi, I examined the past through narrative. I unearthed personal accounts outlining a history that had long been forgotten. One day, I found a letter with "To be read and destroyed" scribbled in the margin. The letter outlined Brown's role in the forced resignation of Tougaloo's president in 1964 for his support of the politically minded students at Tougaloo. They organized and led numerous demonstrations throughout Mississippi at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in America. Newspaper clippings detailed community outrage at the firing, while hand-written flyers rallied student groups to oppose the Brown-Tougaloo relationship through demonstrations. The research took me to the tiny Tougaloo archives and back to Brown to conduct oral history interviews. The work was instrumental in providing Brown-Tougaloo exchange participants the opportunity to challenge misconceptions of their experiences; the documents we collected are now available on a website about the Brown-Tougaloo relationship in the context of the Civil Rights movement. My visions for eliciting personal narratives are embodied in my approaches to healthcare. For four years, I conducted biomedical research on the underlying reasons for increased incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer in African-American men; this first taught me the importance of evaluating economic, social, and cultural histories for their insight into questions of public health disparities. While personal narrative offers patients distinct voices for their stories, in serving the needs of the people, physicians are afforded the unique opportunity to meditate and validate those narratives, bridging personal stories with physical observations. This fusion of the social and human has been reiterated in my experiences as a student conducting clinical health research domestically and abroad. I shrug, wiping the sweat off the side of my face onto my sleeve. Our team has been working outside for almost three hours, measuring fasting glucose levels, taking blood pressure, and calculating Body Mass Indexes for a rural family in modernizing Samoa. For many, I will counsel this summer, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension will be linked to perceived social pressures to maintain material lifestyles exceeding individual financial means. The glucose meter beeps abruptly; I lean over the table to see the reading while an older woman sits across from me, tending her bleeding finger. "La'i may suka": "You do not have diabetes," I announce, checking the "normal" box on her information sheet. One of the Samoan field assistants translated for me as I explained the importance of exercise and healthy eating, listing traditional Samoan foods as better options than canned spaghetti sandwiches. She nods, understanding. The activities I pursued as an undergraduate were chosen not for the utility of some plan; my interests in a wide range of human activities helped me discover the significance of bridging everyday peoples' narratives and their health needs. Furthermore, eliciting the voices of others helped me to realize why I am so compelled to pursue medicine. Each experience has taught me the importance of honest communication in healthcare: paying close attention to how people feel and the meaning of what they say. I marvel at their unique stories and appreciate how each person is validated and empowered by sharing their history. I am determined to become a physician so that I can help relay stories that otherwise might remain untold. African American Medical School Personal Statement

Sweat profusely ran down his face, and dizziness clouded his world. Though he was not feeling well, he ignored these signs and the repetitive, “Daddy, are you okay?” for fear that he would display any sign of weakness in front of his children. After several hours of denial, his body finally warned that all was not well, and the man collapsed in a pool of vomit. That man was my father, and I watched as he, too weak to stand and vomiting on his mouth and clothes, was transported to the nearest medical center with the help of my sister and grandfather. After numerous CAT scans and other tests, we learned that my father had suffered a minor stroke. Though he had suffered a stroke the day before, my father, against the doctor’s advice, went to work the next day to ensure that his condition was not a financial burden on our family. Seeing my father suffer many complications from diabetes and hypertension, I strove to learn more about these diseases by reading medical literature to see how they could be controlled and prevented. Watching my father sacrifice his health for financial reasons was my primary inspiration for applying to medical school. My father was diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension when I was ten. His lack of treatment worsened his diabetic condition, and during my sophomore year in college, he was put on insulin. To this day, I am convinced that if we could have afforded adequate health care, my father would not have sacrificed his health, and thus he would not have suffered these complications. My primary interest in hypertension and diabetes is personal. I worked in Dr. XXXX’s lab for two summers, conducting two independent research projects on the correlation between diabetes and atherosclerosis. One of my projects was concerned with controlling connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) expression in vascular smooth muscle cells by thiazolidinediones (TZDs). In this project, we hypothesized that the diabetic class of drugs TZDs would reduce CTGF expression in vascular smooth muscle cells, reducing atherogenesis. We did an in vitro study and determined that TZDS did reduce CTGF expression in vascular smooth muscle cells. My research for that summer was recently accepted for publication in Atherosclerosis. I saw the importance of biomedical research in clinical care. In addition, my project has taught me about the effective treatments for diabetes, and I learned about the seriousness of my father’s disease. I learned about the health disparities among minority groups and those of lower socioeconomic class. This information further reinforced my determination to pursue medicine to counter these disparities. I participated in an alternative spring break project in Logan, West Virginia, through the Premedical Organization for Minority Students (POMS). We visited the underserved areas of Logan and got first-hand clinical experience. I obtained skills in taking blood pressure, blood glucose levels, and urinalysis and used these skills while visiting senior citizens' residences. Through my interaction with the seniors, I realized that communication and trust are vital for a healthy patient-physician relationship. In addition to doing health-related activities, I talked to students from disadvantaged backgrounds about the importance of getting a post-secondary education. My goal in doing this was to give back to a community like my own because my environment gave me the proper foundation to become an intelligent individual. However, the most rewarding part of the trip was sharing my life story with the local high school students and how I found motivation in my disadvantage and used it to excel. It is essential for them to see someone like themselves succeed so that they are inspired. My most rewarding community service has been with the College after School Team (C.A.S.T), a program that provides free tutoring and mentorship to disadvantaged, inner-city high school students at risk. My duties included tutoring during activities with the students and preparing them for college by working with them on standardized tests and college applications. I consider this one of the most rewarding community services I have become involved with because I am able to watch the students succeed. After seeing firsthand the effects of the lack of health care in my community and the health disparities to which minorities and members of the lower economic rungs of society, I am aware of the need for physicians in medically underserved areas. As a physician, I would like to work to eliminate health disparities among minorities and lower-income individuals by making health care available to those who would not otherwise have access. Medical school would provide me with the skills needed to work to address health disparities at the local level. Personal Statement for Medical School, Diabetes

I was raised in Tehran, but I moved to Canada in 1998 when I was ten. Doctors have been my heroes since childhood. An avid daydreamer as a child, I often spent hours each day conjuring up fantasy visions of myself as an essential doctor, working alongside my colleagues and arriving at a diagnosis as a team. Finding cures for diseases also ranked extremely high among my early fantasies. My fixation with physical health also led to actively taking up bodybuilding by the time I was eighteen. I even started training other interested individuals, sharing the scientific aspects of bodybuilding with them. I would carefully study the science behind every exercise and always be incredibly careful to produce complimentary diet plans. Since I am graduating this October with an Honorary BSc Degree in Biology from XXXX University, I now have great confidence that I am well prepared to enter medical school and have the right level of determination, high motivation, focus, and drive to excel in your program. I was always interested in the diseases that struck our family. I did my best to learn everything I could about them; cancer survived by my uncle, the physical disability suffered for so long by my mother, and the near-death of my father all keenly reinforced my interest and exposure to medicine while still a child and especially a teenager. My mother tells me that she would rather be able to run for 10 minutes than inherit ten million dollars. These events have left me serious beyond my years, dedicated to my studies, and most keenly interested in becoming a physician. My family's emotional and financial difficulties during the first few years of our immigration were complicated. I matured very quickly so that I could work, beginning at 14. The first job I had was wearing a cardboard box shaped like a house to attract the attention of oncoming traffic to the new residences being built in that area. I would wear 4-5 layers of clothing to withstand the chilly weather during winter. I hated and constantly fought the stigma of being on welfare. When a big bully stole my bike, I decided to take Taekwondo classes in addition to Karate and ended up winning two gold medals at the 2003 Canadian Junior Taekwondo Championship at the age of sixteen. A year later, I also won gold in the sparring competition and the pattern performance at the 2004 Ontario Gran Prix Taekwondo Championship held at Humber College. Due to numerous knee injuries, however, by 2005, I could no longer compete in sparring competitions; I served as a judge for some time. The most significant contribution that I could make to society would be to help the most vulnerable protect their health throughout their lifetime, cure them of their ailments, and help them make wise choices that make medical intervention unnecessary later. I see a medical degree as a giant leap forward to a life of service. I look forward to devoting my time and talents to the care of the medically underserved. I want to be remembered not just as a great doctor but also as a great citizen. I passed through many critical life-changing events that helped solidify what I see as my destiny to become an excellent physician. Only one year into our immigration from Iran to Canada, my dad had a heart attack while he was on his way to deliver a pizza to a customer. I was eleven and had only been studying English for one year, but I immediately began checking out science textbooks to decipher what had gone wrong with his heart. Soon, I began to understand much of what I was reading. My passion for the mysteries of the heart has also long been enforced by my mother´s heart disease, thought to be a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy. Watching my mother suffer over the years, losing her ability to move and sinking into ever greater agony, has been a bulwark for my studies. I have spent countless hours studying her biopsies and genetic test results in a never-ending search for clues to better understand her rare disease. I have to know that I at least tried. I have spent so much time studying at hospitals that since I have gotten older, I have occasionally been mistaken for a medical professional by patients seeking basic information. At the same time, I declared that I was only a student, the feeling of trust and the warmth of the handshake from these patients stayed with me. I feel strongly that the greatest asset that I have to offer to medical school is my keen, highly refined sense of social responsibility. I do not look at medicine to make a good living; I am much more attracted to the challenge and fulfillment of service. I spend a lot of free time on the Internet reading about the selfless activities of physicians who donate their time to the group Doctors Without Borders. They are fully modern-day heroes, and I most fervently seek to emulate their heroic sacrifice, nobility, and determination to protect those who suffer. I hope to one day join their cause. Medical School Admission Personal Statement, Canada

Empathy, harmony, and positivity are the three words that best describe my professional identity and character as a healthcare administrator. I am especially practiced at cultivating empathy and have become adept at sensing the feelings of those around me. I am often told that I tend to elevate the mood of those with whom I work, picking up the spirits of patients and hospital staff. Much of this has to do with the fact that I thrive on harmony and continually work to create and maintain it in my personal and professional life. I always stay positive and rely on my gut instincts to guide me to the correct conclusion; this is aided by how I tend to understand my feelings and think of those around me. I have a keen ability to sense the emotions of others, and I am always open to innovative ideas, helping me form partnerships quickly. I always think about working to create and maintain linkages between individuals and groups, solidarity, advocacy for just causes, and assisting people in working together. I am also always discreet and always most respectful of the privacy rights of everyone. Harmony is central to my professional work ethic, the constant search for balance and cooperation, and always searching for the highest level of teamwork possible. I seek to avoid conflict at all costs and always search for areas of agreement. If a situation is unclear, I seek objective advice and weigh my options carefully. I have always gone as far out of the way as necessary to avoid arguments or fights. Peaceful coexistence is one of my most essential core values, and I always at least try to be cooperative to the point to which it is possible to do so. I am often told that my positive outlook can be contagious. I am always enthusiastic since the glass is always half full and never half empty for me. I do all that I can to help people believe in themselves, always focusing on the positive, what they already do well, and what they have already accomplished. I try to see the best in people and sometimes consciously attempt to look for it. I am upbeat, easygoing, and a good team player; I always support my teammates. I patiently observe, ask questions as needed, and make a point of listening to everyone I contact, especially in a professional context. I make it a point to applaud people’s accomplishments and consistently seek to give credit where credit is due. I see patient engagement as going together with optimal outcomes. Thus, as a professional healthcare administrator, I envision that engagement with patients on some level will always be central to my professional interest and responsibility. Adequate patient engagement leads to greater satisfaction for both the patient and the healthcare worker, helping to create a pleasant and fulfilling workplace for patients and staff alike. Thus, in my dream job that I hope to have at some point as the CEO of a hospital, I will always place a top priority on patient engagement. I anticipate that I will always look to innovative technologies to further decrease the burden on staff, freeing up time for the exercise of other responsibilities and administrative tasks. To a considerable extent, the administration needs to be as fully automated as possible, where appropriate, and I look to technology for as much support as possible. Having patients take on routine tasks (like self-setting appointments, for example) can lead to lower no-show rates and greater compliance with care plans. And while nothing can replace a face-to-face relationship with a healthcare provider for driving patient engagement, non-face-to-face communication can also greatly benefit. Engaged patients are more likely to return to the practice, pay their bills, and comply with treatment plans. This leads to healthy bottom lines for practices and better patient outcomes. I look forward to a long professional life in healthcare administration that sees costs contained while enhancing quality and access. I hope to witness changes so that the top 1% of the wealthiest Americans do not consume one-fifth of our healthcare costs. I would like to see access become more egalitarian. I look forward to contributing to that cause to the extent to which the opportunity presents itself as a hospital administration professional. I look forward to doing research in chronic disease management in neighborhood-based care centers. I spend much of my free time reading about how improved outpatient care models may lead to better outcomes and ways of identifying at-risk patients. I have recently been most intrigued by my extensive reading about CareMore’s Neighborhood Care Centers, where a team delivers care and remotely monitors data collected by patients in their homes, enabling intervention, as necessary. Without the widespread use of such care models that manage patients in the community rather than in the hospital, remote monitoring technology could produce earlier, and higher emergency department use and hospitalization rates. Thus, my approach to increased monitoring is mixed, but it shows promise in responding to the ever-growing demands on physicians’ time. For me, the intense joy of serving as a healthcare administrator goes far beyond simply meeting measures of health and survival to deliver and redesign care better to meet the goals and needs of our patients. I always employ a comprehensive approach by combining multiple alignment levers such as personal autonomy, clinical autonomy, colleagues, IT department, etc. I strive to make a lifelong contribution to helping healthcare organizations' organizational leaders overcome the misconception that compensation is the most critical driver for physicians. Instead, I seek to shed light on and celebrate the whole gambit of factors that make the workplace environment as satisfying as possible for all workers employed at the hospital, including physicians. While I see the control, if not reduction, of costs, as central to the mission of the healthcare administrator, I also seek to improve standardization and reduce waste. Hospital administrators must acknowledge that the journey will be difficult and require sacrifices along the way. Administrators must also convey their willingness to support physicians for the long haul, providing clear expectations about why change may be necessary and giving physicians time to agree with the rationale for any changes the administrator may see as necessary. Physicians must receive clear messages about what is expected during the change process. To do this effectively, someone needs to come along, point out the vision, and lead the physicians in the right direction. In addition to outstanding leadership, physicians must see the organization as a partner they can believe in, a partner that will help them. I seek to become a partner that will work to improve the lives of patients, and everyone involved with the hospital where I work. While delivering care and reducing costs are critical, achieving these improvements requires physician buy-in because their decisions drive most of the quality and cost outcomes. It’s vital, therefore, to create a shared vision that aligns the health system and the physicians with complete administrative data, analytical, and reporting support so that the implementation of organizational improvements meets with success. Health administrators must be good listeners and actors, never forgetting that actions will always speak louder than words and go a long way toward developing trusting relationships. Once trust is achieved, buy-in will follow, and enthusiasm to move forward with quality improvement efforts will benefit everyone, enabling the organization to succeed during massive changes in its industry. Finally, it is essential to remember that we should not confuse control with delegation. Being a successful leader is not about being the one everyone always turns to for everything. It means having the awareness to build teams and surround yourself with other capable people so that you can focus on what’s most important. The more control you give up, the better. Thank you for considering my application to your distinguished Fellowship Program in Healthcare Administration . Fellowship Healthcare Administration, Leadership

After finishing my undergraduate studies in China in Public Services Administration, I enrolled at the XXXX School of Public Health. I will be earning my master’s degree in Global Health and Population this coming May 2019. This is because I am a young Chinese woman who could not be more dedicated to advancing global health, especially concerning improving access to health care in the Global South. My central, long-term career plan is to conduct research in public health and make this the center of my life. I look forward to cultivating extensive ties with the academic world and NGOs such as the WHO and the World Bank. Aging and health policy are the center of my intellectual and professional interests, especially with respect to econometric and statistical methods. I have extensive experience with and have worked hard for a long time to cultivate both quantitative and qualitative methods. I have done research in such widely varying contexts as China and South Africa. Hence, I have an enhanced appreciation of the importance of context, social, cultural, etc. I grew up accompanying my mother to hospitals, standing in line waiting to be attended to because my mom was quite ill with a rare disease, nephrotic syndrome. What appeared to me to be the quite dismal nature of access to health care in our country made a big impression on me during my school years. This was one of the critically crucial factors that would lead me to come to America to study and give my professional life to public health with a special focus on China. I learned a great deal about the differences between public and private sectors in health systems in China while completing internships as part of my undergraduate studies - serving at a private hospital and the Provincial Commission of Health and Family Planning in Shanghai. These internships inspired me to pursue a professional lifetime in public health research with a unique, critical focus on China and its inequitable and unwieldy three-tier health system. I am also concerned about a lack of qualified health practitioners in most primary health centers. As an undergraduate student taking the course “Design of Healthcare Management Research,” I proposed a protocol. I completed a research project on healthcare policies for elderly patients with chronic diseases in Shanghai. I visited elderly patients and community practitioners in the primary health centers and neighborhood committees and critically summarized elder care policy in Shanghai. Ultimately, I was most pleased to have contributed meaningful and creative ideas for improving elder healthcare in Shanghai by increasing cooperation among healthcare institutes, nursing houses, and social insurance agencies. I gained many valuable insights into aging studies. I went on to broaden my research in this area to complete an undergraduate thesis on the effects of retirement on health. So far, as a graduate student at XXXX in Public Health, I have been most happy to serve as a research assistant at the XXXX Center for Population and Development Studies, where I had the great privilege of working closely with the project “Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of a Community in South Africa” (HAALSI). My intense interest in the issue of accessibility to health insurance and care in South Africa led me to propose a sub-study under the general rubric of the HAALSI project. Thankfully, I could conduct this study in South Africa while assisting in HAALSI wave 2. Under the supervision of Drs. XXXX and XXXX, we investigated why many eligible people are not receiving old age and disability grants. I developed a qualitative questionnaire, trained my field workers, and supervised the interview process. I will soon be drafting my master’s thesis at XXXX based on these transcribed interviews combined with quantitative data in HAALSI. This past August 2018, I participated in a research project evaluating the quality and efficiency of hospital management in Guizhou Province, China. Drs led me. This project helped me develop solid, qualitative research skills finely honed through extensive practice. With the World Management Survey (WMS), I conducted dozens of interviews with healthcare practitioners in township hospitals and organized and supported the qualitative training required for our fieldwork. My passion for the subject of aging and health policy in China was further fired by this project, where I learned a great deal about how local health practitioners and government officials think about healthcare reform. I have been educated in multidisciplinary programs with a global focus in China and the USA centered on economics, statistics, and global health. This interdisciplinary background has profoundly impacted my career development and research interests in aging and health policy for the elderly in China and other developing countries, especially in Africa. I could not be happier with the intellectual and academic choices I have made because they have prepared me well for a long lifetime of in-depth participation in research into global health policies and how they affect health outcomes. I look forward to continuing to study under Professors XXXX and XXXX, exploring the fields of aging and health policy. I believe that doctoral studies in Population Health Sciences, with an intensive focus on population and family health in developing economies in China and Africa, will provide me with the springboard to become an influential public health investigator on a global level. Thank you for considering my application for the Ph.D. Program in Population Health Sciences at XXXX. PHD Population Health Personal Purpose Statement

I have finished my undergraduate studies in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP). I could not be happier working full-time in my chosen field as a certified Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant. I look forward to lifelong learning and many decades to come teaching children the skills they need to communicate effectively. Thus, my central professional objective is to earn my Master’s Degree in SLP and become a certified Speech-Language Pathologist working with children from all backgrounds who face various speech/language difficulties. I also look forward to serving as an advocate for children with developmental and learning challenges, lobbying on behalf of their interests with the state legislature. I have had the privilege of growing up in and working for a family business, collaborating with family members to meet customer demand. This experience has helped me understand the importance of clarity for covert and overt forms of communication. By the end of my first year in college, I had found a job working as a camp counselor at a preschool. This position gave me my first firm idea of what kind of a career I wanted to develop, working primarily with children with mild processing and articulation delays. Supporting these children in their speech and processing throughout the day as an undergraduate student volunteer very much affirmed my passion for the field of SLP. I began to find enjoyment by applying what I was learning at college in my work in the community, helping to make the environment of special needs children as meaningful and fulfilling as possible. This past summer and currently during the fall semester, I have been volunteering my time at the Language, Learning, Literacy, and Lexicon Lab at the U of A. Assisting with working memory and word learning studies has allowed me to see how theory is put into the service of the research. Data collection and entry in this position have helped me refine my practical skills and accurately capture and communicate information. Seeing experienced clinicians at work has provided me with the most inspiring examples of professional expertise. One of the highlights of this experience was observing a young man from assessment to completion through eight home-visit sessions, allowing me to cultivate a relationship with him and his family. Born (1996) and raised in the USA, I have visited Mexico once or twice a year for about six years, Israel for ten days (May 2018), England, and much of Western Europe for a month. My travels have helped me to mature and to become a better communicator. I have also learned basic American Sign Language. Persistent and driven to become an accomplished SLP clinician, I spent an entire year serving in a research lab studying the complex relationships between learning, literacy, language, and lexicon. I work with children with articulation difficulties and moderately to severely autistic children. I look forward to learning as much as possible about the autism spectrum, swallowing, apraxia, and dysarthria in adults and children. I am passionate about research, language, neurogenic communication disorders, voice disorders, and especially swallowing. Thank you for considering my application to your Distinguished SLP Master’s Program. SLP Master's Personal Purpose Statement, Mexican American

I hope to be selected for the XXXX Fellowship Program in Health Care Administration to have the best opportunity to fully realize my career goal of becoming a highly effective leader in health administration. I look forward to assuming increasing professional responsibility after completing your program and gaining additional experience. I aspire to become the kind of leader at the executive level who is adept at providing direction and guidance, especially for teams, fostering progressive advancement, and negotiating changes that result in improved patient outcomes. I am dedicated to lifelong learning and ongoing career enhancement and am passionate about healthcare administration. I am well prepared to hit the ground running and distinguish myself in your program. I have been training for as long as I can remember, in one way or another, for a career in healthcare administration. I hope to build a lifetime specialization in teamwork and leadership strategies, with many decades to come studying the possibilities brought about by innovative developments in h systems. I enjoy how health care is constantly changing concerning everything from who decides to provide or use a service to how it is financed. My greatest asset is my ability to connect with people, understand their goals, and find a solution to their healthcare challenges . Always wholly calm, cool, and collected, even under high-stress and demanding situations, I think of myself as a life scientist and a health care administrator. I hope to distinguish myself through a lot of arduous work as a fellow in health systems. I have made it a point to learn as much as possible, particularly about regulatory affairs, compliance , employment and labor law, policy implementation, and conflict resolution. One issue in healthcare administration I find myself reading about with frequency is the question of healthcare intermediaries, particularly insurance companies. I especially enjoy learning about the many critical ways these go-betweens play crucial roles in inpatient treatment decisions and outcomes. Thus, I would like to think about how to reward those providers that continuously have superior results, working closely with providers to improve care. Although I already have a robust career based on a solid educational background, your administrative fellowship will provide me with the optimal foundation for becoming an increasingly effective healthcare leader. There are many reasons why I am the best fit for the XXXX Fellowship Program, ranging from a sense of solidarity with your mission to a variety of practical considerations that make XXXX an ideal option. Thank you for considering my application to the XXXX Health Administration Fellowship Program. Fellowship Health Care Administration

I hope to be selected for your distinguished Master’s Degree Program in Supply Chain Management (SCM) at the University of XXXX. SCM is where my curiosity, passion, and dedication are centered, especially in procurement, strategic sourcing, and warehousing. I particularly appreciate how Supply Chain Management has gained increasing prominence over the last several decades on strategic and tactical levels. I hope to prepare myself as fully as possible for a competitive, corporate job market by earning a second Masters's in SCM to complement the MBA that I already hold, thus making myself more attractive to the corporate world because of my enhanced capacity to make essential and sustainable contributions to corporate supply chain organization and efficiency. I look forward to a long and highly productive professional lifetime putting my skills to effective use in the corporate world, climbing the corporate ladder due to excellence driven by my lifelong dedication to advanced education and self-improvement, coupled with my great passion for efficiency and productivity. I hope to give my all to a top-notch company like Amazon, Apple, Nestle, etc., learning best practices on a mammoth, global scale, and learning to think about SCM without frontiers, searching for enhanced creativity and novel solutions to ongoing supply chain challenges. I hope to be selected to study at the XXXX School of Business because of my profound admiration for the integral focus on socially responsible business and sustainability at XXXX, along with a well-established record of accomplishment in educating social entrepreneurs and supporting ventures with a heart. And if one wants a “green” education in SCM, XXXX is necessarily one’s first choice. I also very much appreciate the uniqueness of the Corporate Advisory Council, facilitating networking with leading figures in the industry. Studying at the XXXX School will give me the exposure I need to the real-world challenges and issues industry managers face. I am also excited by the Supply Chain Consulting Studio's innovative technology and programming in a wide range of data analytics, risk management, and sustainability. No other program offers as many action-based learning opportunities as XXXX. Born and raised in India, I first earned my bachelor's degree in my home country. I later went to Japan to earn my first master's degree at the International University of Japan in Business Administration Operations & Strategy (2015). I learned basic Japanese and acquired a solid foundation for further study in SCM. Now adept at cost reduction and monitoring EBITs and their relationship to gross margins, I enjoy searching out the root causes of cost slippages and other SCM-related factors. The five months I spent as an exchange student at the XXXX School of Management allowed me to see much of Europe, East, and West. I am also thankful for having had the chance to visit the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, China, and most recently, Russia. My travels worldwide have helped me better understand the big picture regarding SCM. I have a solid understanding of business management strategy, finance, and operations, upon which to build at the University of XXXX. I am certified in Lean Six Sigma and ISO: TS; I bring a solid theoretical background to SCM due to my studies in Engineering and the MBA in Japan. I have been certified and have had extensive exposure to the Japanese way of working and business management: lean, cost-cutting, and process excellence. My hard work and preparation resulted in my receiving a prestigious scholarship from the Asian Development Bank for my MBA studies. I worked extremely hard to succeed as the only student from India to receive this scholarship in my MBA program. I quickly became a devotee of a process-oriented approach to business operations that prioritized analytical abilities w.r.t, finding root causes of problems, and analytical solutions using industrial engineering techniques. I am incredibly proud of my mastery of many essential Japanese problem-solving strategies, such as the Theory of Constraints (TOC). My mentors and colleagues tell me I have excellent communication skills and team management capabilities. Sustainability is by far the most critical word in my vocabulary. Keenly aware of the finite nature of our world’s resources, I am convinced that businesses must be morally and socially responsible for nature and its place to survive. Supply chain management has a considerable role in rescuing and safeguarding our planet and the resources we need to sustain ourselves and our offspring for the near future. I see the importance of respect for human rights similarly honestly, as I see the importance of safeguarding our natural environment, thereby preventing global warming and a host of related ills. A satisfied workforce with their human rights respected is the most productive. I especially appreciate the human aspect of Supply Chain Management and honestly believe one can promote authentic human rights and sustainable economic development in the private sector. Central to my fondest dreams for the future would be to work on developing suppliers from underdeveloped or tribal communities, organizing charitable events, and, if possible, employing people with disabilities, war veterans, etc. Indian companies have been slow to adopt supply chain best practices. I look forward to contributing to developing just, fair, sustainable, and customer-centric solutions and respecting both natural and human environments. I want to help build, streamline, and maintain supply chains in socially responsible and sustainable ways. Thus, I keenly look forward to the entire immersion experience at the XXXX School of Business, emphasizing strategic procurement, operations excellence, and corporate strategy related to Supply Chain Management. Thank you for considering my application. Sustainability MBA Personal Purpose Statement Sample

To Whom It May Concern, It is a profound pleasure for me to recommend my colleague, Kelly Carney, MD, for a fellowship position in Neonatology. My name is XXXX, MD, and I serve as the director of the NICU at XXXX General Hospital. Dr. XXXX is one of the most accomplished physicians I have had the privilege of working alongside in our Neonatal ICU unit. A distinguished pediatric hospitalist, XXXX’s grasp of neonatal issues is unsurpassed, equaled only by her dedication to saving the lives of our infants, one by one, while she gears up for a long professional life dedicated to research in neonatal medicine and related NICU issues and procedures. I worked alongside XXXX for 3.5 years, from December 2014 through April 2017. Throughout our time together, XXXX cared for mostly full-term newborns while I oversaw those born premature or ill. We frequently collaborated on care plans, and she consulted with me often. Kelly is a mother of young children and has learned a great deal about motherhood from this experience and the health challenges that babies confront while still in and out of the womb, carefully studying her own motherhood experience with wonder and scientific curiosity working in tandem. I could not feel more strongly that Dr. Carney has much to give to a neonatal fellowship program since her extensive and recent experience will enable, empower, and inspire her to contribute to research as well as practice. Dr. XXXX could not be more committed to the lifelong pursuit of her career in Neonatal Medicine. She has an outstanding depth of knowledge in this area, already accompanied by extensive hands-on experience. Easygoing, flexible, and always approachable, she is a Master of Communication with patients, and her elegant and compassionate bedside manner is a pleasure to observe. Our specialty will significantly benefit from the intensity of her devotion and energy, and those who have the joy in the future to work alongside XXXX will find it an immense pleasure, just as I have. Sincerely, Letter of Recommendation for Medical Fellowship