I hold a degree in Electrical Engineering and, during my studies, became involved in work related to medical imaging, which was fascinating, and I saw it as a potential career path. I also began reading a lot of medically related research published internationally during this time. However, I realized I saw a minimal ‘picture’ of the patients. I became more interested in the people behind the images than the images themselves, I wanted to know more, and an unexpected vocation for medicine was the result. Many of the skills required of a sound engineer are also those called for in medicine; an analytical approach to problems, curiosity, determination, and skill to accurately diagnose the causes of pain and establish relationships between unrelated data. An engineering career does not offer substantial interaction with others nor the opportunity to help them directly. I do not regret my engineering study and have found this background especially useful in my study of medicine. I have carefully considered the area of work that will set me on the most satisfying career path and enable me to be most beneficial to the community. Family Medicine is the specialty that meets both requirements. I am attracted by the variety of patients and conditions I shall see and look forward to exercising my analytical and diagnostic skills. Family Medicine will provide the constant patient contact that I seek. I know that family medicine calls for an exceedingly high order of interpersonal and communication skills and I possess them. I am particularly sensitive to the significance of non-verbal ‘signals’ and the need for a physician to be sensitive to them and to respond appropriately. Family Medicine will be increasingly affected by the aging population and the increasing proportion of the elderly among patients. Amongst several volunteer activities in which I have been involved, I served as a coordinator of recreational events at a nursing home. I enjoy the company of older people and come from a culture where the aged are cherished and afforded profound respect. The ‘aging phenomenon’ will call for new thinking and initiatives to encourage and enable the elderly to lead lives as independent and fulfilling as possible. I would hope to be able to assist in research into the challenges that aging presents to the elderly themselves, the community, and society in general. When living in Iran, I was involved in volunteer emergency work during two severe earthquakes. This experience was both extraordinarily moving and educational. I saw how doctors and others react in extreme situations. I am also among the founders of the 'Women's Action Network, an organization that assists women from developing nations. This experience has enhanced my communication, leadership, and organizational skills. I have seen many doctors at work during my MD program and volunteer activities. These have ranged from the merely competent to the excellent. I conclude that the physician’s attitude to their patients separates the extraordinary from the rest. Exceptional physicians quickly establish a relationship based on trust and confidence and involve the patients as far as possible in their treatment. Excellent physicians care about their patients rather than merely caring for them. Exceptional physicians treat every patient as an individual, worthy of their respect and not as a mere ‘bundle of symptoms.’ I am determined to be an excellent family physician. I need to ‘make a living,’ but more importantly, I want to make a difference in people’s lives. I am fully aware of the need for cultural sensitivity in health care provision. I have lived in Iran, Canada, and the United States and know what it is to adjust to a new and unfamiliar culture. I speak Farsi as well as English and some German. I have happily studied and worked with people of many cultural and social backgrounds and enjoy doing so. I consider myself to be exceptionally culturally aware and sensitive. My academic ability, characteristics, interests, background, and attitude make me an excellent candidate for the residency program. I look forward to beginning my career and making a positive difference in people’s lives. Family Medicine Residency Personal Statement

I was not looking forward to my rotation in the psychiatric ward and regarded this as only a necessary obstacle that I had to surmount to qualify as a doctor. However, I became fascinated with the patients, their conditions, and their treatments. I soon realized that every patient was a person who had goals and hopes, a person who had a family and friends who loved them and anxiously awaited them to emerge from the mental ‘maze’ in which they found themselves. My apprehension was replaced with empathy, sympathy, and a longing to be of some help. Following my internship, I worked in the medicine department of a missionary hospital. There was no psychiatric department, and our department was responsible for dealing with psychiatric patients. The cases we handled were mild depressive conditions, but I was involved in counseling some of these patients and found enormous satisfaction. I also observed psychiatric illness in routine ER patients on several occasions. When counseling, I learned that understanding and responding to non-verbal signals is an essential skill in dealing with distressed patients, which I naturally possess and hope to develop further. I hope to be involved in research and teaching. I joined an MD program in Pharmacology and started a thesis project in psychiatry when I obtained permission to enter the US. The study related the efficacy and safety of Tianeptine compared to Sertraline for treating major depressive disorder. My work also involved the study of psychopharmacology, and I began to think back to my internship work with psychiatric patients, and my interest in psychiatry was re-fired. Once in the US, I considered my choices carefully and decided to pursue psychiatry rather than pharmacology. One significant difference between psychiatry in India and the US is that it is rare to see dementia patients in India. In my culture, the family takes full responsibility for caring for the elderly, and people living with dementia are indulged and cherished in a familiar environment. Medical intervention is sought only in extreme cases. In the US, the situation is vastly different, and the effects of aging constitute a growing challenge as the elderly grow in numbers and as a proportion of the population. Their problems are compounded by the fact that they often find themselves in unfamiliar surroundings once they lose their ability to care for themselves. Psychiatry has a tremendous and growing responsibility in this area where I hope to excel. I realize that the importance of understanding the cultural background of a psychiatric patient can hardly be overstated. I have worked and studied with people of many cultural and social backgrounds and am eager to extend these experiences and familiarize myself with cultures that are new to me. I know many well-qualified applicants will be applying for residency in this critically important specialty. However, I am an exceptional candidate. I am diligent and intelligent with a great capacity for arduous work; I have substantial experience providing medical care, including the counseling and identification of psychiatric patients, in a hospital setting. I have carefully prepared myself for the program, having been an ‘observer’ in US hospitals. However, my main recommendation is a passion for psychiatry that I look forward to demonstrating in the program. Residency in Psychiatry Personal Statement

Wherever I go, I adapt, learn the language, volunteer, and learn. My education has taken me to three continents, and I have learned to speak three languages fluently as an adult. My practice of medicine has been a service that has been preparing me for a lifetime of service to our children. In September of 2005, I supported victims of Hurricane Katrina housed in the Houston Astrodome. While the city was in darkness, the system's wheels moved only painfully. It was a police-state, streets filthy, and everywhere people were turned into beggars, collecting things from the ground. The contrast between the rich and the poor was gone. They all needed help. I helped clean, clothe, and feed them in any way I could help, and I offered hope. Where I could not give hope, I gave my shoulder, my attention, and whatever I could to dispel the loneliness. And I paid particular attention to the vulnerable children caught up in all of this. Pediatrics is a logical progression for me, emotionally, psychologically, and career-wise. For the last six years, I have dedicated myself to the medical profession, working in pain management, immunization, and educating myself to the highest degree. I find myself moving quickly and with more momentum than ever before, and I am now completely ready for my residency in Pediatrics. I bring many of the necessary characteristics of a pediatrician to the field along with the requisite education. Through my work and volunteer work, I have shown compassion and support for patients and their families. This, combined with being well-versed in clinical work, working as a team with other physicians, technicians, and nursing staff, and clinical knowledge, are the quintessential elements necessary for an influential Pediatrician. A good Pediatrician has this foundation, and, yet, a great Pediatrician is also always caring, attentive, and available. This is how I have performed medicine, conducted myself professionally, and I'm not done yet. My ambition is to work towards educating my patients and their families about the primary prevention of diseases by encouraging immunization and healthier lifestyles. I educate my patients about the health benefits of never beginning the use of tobacco products or illegal drugs, regular exercise, and more. It's what we must do as physicians. During my rotations, I encountered many children and worked alongside some brilliant Pediatricians. The innocence and honesty of children frequently struck me, and this endeared these little patients to me profoundly. I found myself imagining how I would fit into the role of a healthcare advocate for children by encouraging preventative medicine and having the opportunity of guiding them toward healthy choices. Pediatricians have a responsibility unparalleled in the medical community as they are concerned with their patient's physical, emotional, and social health throughout their maturation from childhood. Residency Pediatric Medicine Personal Statement

Introduction IMG Internal Medicine Personal Statement: Path to Residency A well-crafted personal statement is a critical component of your residency application, particularly for International Medical Graduates (IMGs). It not only reflects your journey but also highlights your passion, experiences, and suitability for the program. This article presents a detailed example of an Internal Medicine personal statement for an IMG, broken into key sections for easy understanding, followed by an in-depth analysis. Internal Medicine IMG Personal Statement Example Since childhood, my enthusiasm has empowered me to excel at school. I always wanted to have goals and ambitions as perfect as arrows in archery, aiming at the circle's center. Consequently, I chose biology though many choices were open to me. Moreover, there appeared to be no better way of applying scientific knowledge than studying and practicing medicine which made me a medical student. I regard this as one of the best choices I have made. My goal in life is to become a successful Internist and an academician which will give me a chance to help mold future doctors. My interest in Internal Medicine sprouted during my medical rotations. Working with a wide variety of clinical conditions and being conscious of the need for a comprehensive approach to diagnosing and treating these conditions, I decided to settle on Internal Medicine as my area of specialty. I love how internal medicine requires building long-term relationships with patients. Since I was a medical student, I have been interested in research and remain actively engaged. I thoroughly enjoyed my medical education and participated in several voluntary projects. I especially enjoyed setting up screening and referral services for six days in a remote, underserved area. That was a highly satisfying and humbling experience. I also organized a fundraising program for blind children, which was successful. Medicine is a prestigious, well-rewarded profession and is uniquely essential. I believe that doctors should 'give back' to society by sharing their skills and knowledge with those most in need and this is what I intend to do. Working on these projects was always a team effort, and I utilized the opportunity to learn a great deal about how an effective team is organized and run. I especially enjoy working as a team towards a common goal both following and offering direction to achieve it. I know that cultural sensitivity has particular importance in Internal Medicine. Having overcome the challenges in a change of cultural environment, I regard myself as professionally qualified in this area. The many people I have worked with from many diverse cultural and social backgrounds have all taught me valuable things, and I would like to continue these enriching experiences in your residency program. Following graduation, I worked as a physician assistant in a few hospitals in India before leaving for the US, where I completed an Externship in the Department of Internal Medicine and observerships at two hospitals. These experiences have confirmed my choice of specialty and familiarized me with the local medical environment and practices. I am now ready to take the next step in my medical career. I know that you will have many highly qualified applicants. However, I do believe that I am an excellent candidate. I have an ideal academic record reflecting my diligence; I am an experienced and enthusiastic 'team player'; I love working directly with patients, and I want to do so on a long-term basis now that I am thoroughly familiar with the US medical environment. I have the potential to become a first-class Internist, and I am keenly looking forward to giving my all to your residency program. Detailed Analysis Introduction: The opening of this personal statement provides insight into the candidate’s early academic inclinations and passion for medicine. It effectively sets the stage for the reader, showing the applicant’s clear focus on internal medicine and their goal of becoming both a practitioner and an educator. Main Body: The main body highlights the candidate’s varied experiences, both in medical school and through voluntary projects. The reference to organizing screening services in underserved areas and working in hospitals adds depth to their professional background. Furthermore, the explanation of their externship and observer ship in the US demonstrates familiarity with the local healthcare system, a key aspect for IMGs applying to US residency programs. Conclusion: The conclusion provides a strong summary of the candidate’s qualifications, focusing on their academic and professional experiences. The applicant effectively reiterates their passion for patient care, teamwork, and long-term commitment to internal medicine. Improvements: Consider including specific challenges faced during the externship or observership to showcase problem-solving skills. Emphasize any leadership roles undertaken during the voluntary work or hospital experiences, as this adds value to the applicant's profile. FAQs What makes a strong IMG personal statement for internal medicine? A strong personal statement for an IMG should highlight your academic qualifications, hands-on medical experience, understanding of the US healthcare system, and a genuine passion for internal medicine. How long should my personal statement be for residency applications? Residency personal statements typically range from 500 to 1,000 words, depending on the program’s guidelines. It’s important to follow the length requirements specified by each program. Can I include international experiences in my personal statement? Yes, international experiences, particularly in underserved areas or during externships, can add unique value to your application and show your adaptability to diverse clinical settings. What should I avoid in my personal statement? Avoid vague language and generalizations. Be specific about your experiences, skills, and why you are a good fit for the program. Additional Resources How to Write an Effective Personal Statement PHD Public Health Personal Statement Examples Inspiring Immigrant Medical School Personal Statement Example Contact Us for Personalized Residency Application Help Internal Medicine IMG Personal Statement Example

I am a physician from India who wants to give his all to a residency program in America. I currently live in Ohio but am ready to relocate anywhere in the country. I am especially looking forward to becoming fully immersed in research in Nephrology, the specialty that I have focused on pursuing as my life’s work. In addition to medical school in India, I have gained relevant experience in several areas by volunteering in projects targeting Tuberculosis along with AIDS and polio prevention programs. I have also had extensive experience working with a Primary Health Care Center. I now feel confident that I can excel in a residency program, due to my great enthusiasm and dedication to service. Growing up in India, during my childhood, I came across many people dying from various illnesses, which made an enormous impression on me, especially since I was a severely sensitive child. As I got older, I understood that most of this would be preventable and that this individual died due to a lack of medical care. My ardent desire to help these people resulted in my choosing the medical profession as my career. My father served for many years as a paramedical officer; as I was growing up, his vision also helped to inspire me to work hard so that I would be accepted to an excellent medical school. Internal Medicine is what most excited me in medical school, and it is in this area that I want to excel. For some time now, I have also been reading virtually much of the current literature on understanding and treating the disease process. Renal failure is widespread in India, and I have seen many people die from it. This would not have happened if they had had adequate treatment. I focused on this area of medical research early on because I recognized this great need back in India. Someday, I hope to be able to return to India and use what I have learned here in the United States to help make treatment programs more practical despite the limited resources that we have at our disposal. I have graduated among the top 5% of my class since childhood. I was always an outstanding team player and led many teams in voluntary work and sports. My experience working at a primary care center for two years as a medical officer helped significantly strengthen my skills, learning to make the most of all available resources to meet our paramedical responsibilities. I keenly look forward to giving all my energy and concentration to the practice of Internal Medicine here in the USA. I hope to have many decades to work hard at research in this area and training. I crave long hours and total immersion in Internal Medicine. I look forward to meeting your team and giving my all, especially to the practice of Nephrology in your esteemed institution. Thank you for considering my application to your program. Fellowship Internal Medicine Personal Statement

I hold a degree in Electrical Engineering and, during my studies, became involved in work related to medical imaging, which I found most fascinating. However, I realized that I saw a minimal ‘picture’ of the patients. I became more interested in the people behind the images than the images themselves; I wanted to know more. An unexpected vocation for medicine resulted, and I went on to finish medical school and become a doctor in my native Iran. Many of the skills required of a sound engineer are also those called for in medicine: an analytical approach to problems, curiosity, the determination, and skill to diagnose the causes of pain accurately, and skill in establishing relationships between unrelated data. An engineering career does not offer substantial interaction with others and the opportunity to be of direct help to them. I do not regret my engineering study and have found this background especially useful in my study of medicine. I have carefully considered the area of work that will set me on the most satisfying career path and enable me to be most beneficial to the community. Pediatrics is the specialty that meets both requirements. In 1990, when I was a teenager, there was a massive earthquake in my home country of Iran, during which many children were orphaned. I spent the entire summer at a camp for orphans, helping the children come to terms with their situation, playing with them, and trying to entertain them. It was tough, but it aroused my great empathy with children and developed my ability to communicate with them effectively. As a result of this experience, I undertook voluntary work at a hospital for children for seven years, organizing and leading various activities for the children. Distressed children cannot always verbalize their feelings, and I have acquired some skill in reading non-verbal ‘signals’ that I believe is highly relevant to this specialty. I have also learned to concentrate on helping the children rather than my feelings. I can think of no better way to use my skills and knowledge than to provide the best care to sick children. I am an experienced, effective, and enthusiastic researcher. I have the potential to make a significant contribution to research in pediatrics, and I am especially interested in primary care and public health. I have seen many doctors at work during my MD program and volunteer activities. These have ranged from the merely competent to the excellent. I conclude that the physician’s attitude to their patients separates the extraordinary from the rest. Exceptional physicians care about their patients rather than simply caring for them. Their patients intuitively realize that this is so Excellent physicians treat every patient as an individual, worthy of their respect and not as a mere ‘bundle of symptoms’ I am determined to be an excellent pediatric physician; I need to make a living but, more importantly, I want to make a difference, especially in the lives of children. I am among the founders of ‘The Women’s Action Network,’ an organization that assists women from developing nations. This experience has enhanced my communication, leadership, and organizational skills. I am fully aware of the need for cultural sensitivity in health care provision and, most significantly, in pediatrics. I have lived in Iran, Canada, and the United States and know what it is to adjust to a new and unfamiliar culture. I speak Farsi as well as English and some German. I have happily studied and worked with people of many cultural and social backgrounds and enjoy doing so; I consider myself exceptionally culturally aware and sensitive. I am academically able, an experienced researcher, intellectually curious, and an excellent communicator with substantial experience interacting with sick and distressed children. Residency in Pediatrics Personal Statement

When applying to medical school four years ago, I spent a considerable amount of time attempting to define my future. Now seeking a residency position, I reflect on my professional trajectory again. The same principles that characterized my desire to attend medical school still shape my professional and personal decisions; however, my thoughts are more directed and inclusive today. More directed in that I am focusing on a specialty, Urology, and more inclusive in that my interests and priorities outside of medicine play a significant role in my decision-making process. Medical school has been a fantastic opportunity. I look forward to the new challenge of postgraduate training. During each third-year clerkship, I attempted to envision myself as a career physician within that field. After completing all the clerkships, I found that my most passionate interest lay within the area of Urology. My exposure to Urology during my third year and again during the beginning of my fourth year of medical school impressed upon me the diversity and uniqueness of this field. Both the breadth of disease processes it encompasses and the opportunities for research from a clinical and basic science perspective make Urology an exciting career choice. Yet, the most influential quality that attracts me to Urology is the intimacy of patient interaction prevalent within all aspects of the field. The urologist, in general practice or a subspecialty field, often works with patients when they are physically and emotionally most vulnerable. These individuals may include, among others, the impotent male, the gentleman recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, or the parents of an infant with hypospadias. The physician must form an open relationship with the patient to treat these and other urologic conditions effectively. I adore giving my all to a career characterized by this elevated level of patient interaction. As I am interested in pursuing a career as an academic urologist, it would be a special honor for me to be selected by a program at a university-affiliated hospital. I have relished the challenge of basic science and clinical research while in medical school, and I now seek the opportunity to give my all to my chosen specialty, urology. I have grown in my knowledge of medicine and people over the last three years. I started medical school with a strong drive for personal excellence and genuine scientific interest. Now nearing the conclusion of medical school, I still find my interest in science strong. I have refined that interest into a keen desire to participate actively in academic research. I look forward to the process as well as the destination. Thank you for considering my application to your distinguished residency program in Urology. Urology Residency Personal Statement

At the end of my internships, I considered the different specialties to which I had been exposed and concluded that my work in the Neurology Ward had been the most satisfying and was where I felt I had been most effective. Apart from an academic interest in neurological conditions, I had a facility to soothe and reassure Neurology patients who are often very distressed and anxious, especially when they first arrive. On one occasion, I had been delegated by my terribly busy program director to attend to a young stroke patient who had just been admitted. I was given a brief explanation of the patient’s condition and then met the patient. He was highly distressed, anxious, and agitated. He had a wife and a young child, and his main concern was that he would be able to continue working to support them. I explained his problem, treatment options, and outcome; I gave preventative advice and answered many of his questions. By the end of our consultation, he had relaxed to the point that he was smiling; and fully recovered. This event is exemplary, for me, as a testimony to the importance of providing patients with an adequate education concerning the challenges they face and the options they have to empower them. I see this educative role as especially important with Neurology patients, and I have given my all to develop exemplary skills in this area. I am extremely interested in the considerable research being undertaken into conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis, which are currently incurable. I hope to be involved in research and clinical trials and play a part in finding and applying new treatments for such conditions. I also stay very current concerning the rapidly increasing number of dementia patients we treat as Neurologists and especially look forward to challenges in this area. I undertook my master's in public health to gain professional maturity and stature and to further prepare myself to give my all to a residency program. Earning my MPH was a most enriching experience; it has equipped me with invaluable knowledge about preventative medicine and substantial familiarization with the medical environment in the US. I have also been able to ‘shadow’ five neurologists since January. This was highly informative and has fully confirmed my choice. Thus, I feel well-prepared to commence and complete a successful residency in Neurology. My long-term goal is to become an excellent neurologist practicing, researching, and teaching in a teaching hospital. I have undertaken many volunteer activities that demonstrate that I genuinely care about people, helping to improve their lives as far as it lies within my power. I have felt incredibly honored that Dr. XXXX, Associate Professor and Director of the Parkinson’s Disease Research Institute at XXXX University Hospital, accepted me to work with her research team as a voluntary research assistant. I know that there will be many well-qualified applicants for residency positions. However, I am an exceptional candidate. My excellent academic record is evidence of my diligence and intelligence; I possess the personal characteristics and attitude required of a first-class physician and neurologist. I am eager to join a challenging and stimulating program where I might have the opportunity to assist with research projects. I have a great passion for my chosen specialty, matched only by my dedication to providing excellent care to patients suffering from neurological conditions. Neurology Residency Personal Statement

I have been told that the key to being an excellent radiologist is never to forget that behind every single image, there is a unique individual who is certainly very anxious. They have loved ones and friends who are also worried. The image represents real people with fears and hopes and is often the key to an early and accurate diagnosis and identifying appropriate treatment. I always approach my work with these words in mind and intend always to do so. My success in my academic career has been achieved by having very highly developed analytical skills and a naturally curious mind, an enthusiastic team player, I want to work in an area where advances are rapid. It has always been my intention to make a difference as well as merely to make a living, and this desire led me to an interest in medical imaging, which has developed into a passion. I believe that my skills and characteristics will enable me to become an excellent radiologist and assist in the advancement of this fascinating and vital area of medical science. I am an enthusiastic team player and know this is a vital asset in my chosen field. A good team always provides a better outcome than any individual team member. While, like most people, I like my input to be acknowledged and valued, I am always ready to seek and take advice and guidance and give credit to other team members. You may not know much about cricket, but it is a game in which it is possible for a player to ‘shine’ selfishly to the detriment of the team’s benefit. It is good training in subsuming selfish desires to the outcome. Being the firstborn in a large Asian family has also provided excellent training in ‘pulling together’ as part of a team with common aims. I was expected to help raise my younger siblings, which gave me early and beneficial experience in taking responsibility and providing leadership. Helping my siblings with their schoolwork gave me a love of teaching and sharing my knowledge, and I hope always to be able to help to develop skills and expertise in others which gives me enormous satisfaction. I have been involved in several successful research projects and enjoyed doing so. Research work has developed traits that are vital for a successful radiologist: curiosity, patience, recognizing obscure patterns, and the possible connections between the unconnected. I hope to continue research throughout my career. I am extremely excited at the potential of some current research in medical imaging and carefully studying recent developments. I was born in India to a family who had to face many financial challenges and lived there until the age of twelve when the family moved to Canada; I currently study in Qatar. I have happily studied, worked, and socialized with people from many social and cultural backgrounds. I am culturally sensitive and enjoy learning about other cultures and sharing knowledge about my own. My university selected me to provide orientation tours to new students. This was because it was recognized that I have an easygoing personality and a well-developed sense of humor. I love my pastimes of cricket and cooking international dishes, which allow me to interact with others socially. I know that you will be considering applications from many well-qualified candidates. However, I am an excellent candidate. I am a qualified biomedical engineer whose academic successes, awards, and research work speak to my intelligence, diligence, and determination to succeed. I believe I have demonstrated that I possess the personal characteristics required of an excellent, rather than a competent radiologist. Most importantly, I am passionately interested in this field and in helping patients by applying all my skills and knowledge in full cooperation with doctors from other specialties. Radiology Residency Personal Statement

My parents were both born to farmers in the eastern part of Ethiopia. They relocated to the capital city to struggle for a better life for themselves and their children. I was the second of four children, two biological and two adopted. While I was growing up, we lived in a modest home facing the community clinic that served more than 50,000 people in our neighborhood. Every day as I walked to school, I saw numerous patients waiting in line to obtain medical care. By the end of the day, I could not help but notice how this clinic was still swamped with patients desperately waiting to receive medical attention. This daily sight of sheer human desperation and suffering made me very conscious of my community's egregious shortage of physicians. Thus, I became determined to become a doctor while still a child. Now that I have realized that dream here in America, someday, I hope to return to Ethiopia to teach medicine. At fifteen, I came to the United States to pursue my education. I settled in El Paso, Texas, with a family member and began my high school education three days after my arrival in the U.S. Determined to get accustomed to life here in America as quickly as possible, I immersed myself in American culture by making new friends. Becoming multicultural through this experience has taught me the importance of being flexible, and I now adapt quickly to new environments. I am very understanding and respectful of people from all cultural backgrounds, which helps me develop a good rapport with my patients and their families. Only eight years after arriving in the U.S., I began medical school and the journey to become a physician. The summer between my first and second years of medical school, I participated in an internship designed to expose medical students to different medical specialties. Through this summer program, I had the opportunity to explore and evaluate which specialty most captured my interest as a potential career focus. I focused upon anesthesiology early on because of my profound admiration for advancements in the field and the importance of pain relief to the success of medical procedures and patient well-being. At the beginning of my third year, I decided to take a one-month elective course in anesthesiology. I worked one-on-one with a staff anesthesiologist. I assumed responsibilities in pre-, peri-, and post-operative patient care and risk assessments, and I found this experience incredibly engaging and exhilarating. I especially love being able to systematically apply my knowledge of pharmacology to predict and observe physiologic responses to drugs and learn how they could be used to hemodynamically stabilize a patient during a procedure, facilitating an optimal surgical field and pain management. I have come to especially appreciate how anesthesiologists are the primary caregivers for patients in the operating room and the fact that they assume the most significant responsibility for ensuring patients’ overall well-being throughout the procedure. While it is enormously challenging, I find myself fulfilled by playing this critical role, especially in reassuring the patient that everything will be fine. Last year, I visited Ethiopia and worked with my sister, a medical student. What I discovered there strengthened my commitment to medicine and especially to anesthesiology. I was horrified to see how many excruciatingly painful procedures were performed without any form of anesthesia. This further cemented my desire to devote my life to anesthesia and to prepare for a lengthy career that includes training residents and medical students in this area. I keenly look forward to the opportunity to meet you, join your team, and give my all to anesthesiology. Anesthesiology Residency Personal Statement

During my rotations, I found the atmosphere of the Operating Room to be the most exciting, focused, and satisfying of all the settings in which I trained. The idea of becoming a surgeon immediately attracted me. However, I was cautioned by an experienced surgeon that, although many people were attracted to surgery because of the romantic view of it provided in fiction and the movies, they often did not consider the unique demands involved, nor did they satisfy themselves that they indeed possessed the exceptional characteristics required of an excellent surgeon. I determined to take his advice, do some thorough research, and exercise great care before pursuing the specialty for my benefit and, more importantly, that of my future patients. It becomes evident to any observer that an operation is a piece of effective teamwork. I love working in a team and am active in team games such as cricket; I know that a well-organized squad is much more than the sum of its parts. I have also been a team leader and know that confidence and decisiveness are required to lead a team well and that I possess these qualities. I come from a family of engineers and am ‘imprinted’ with some characteristics that influential engineers and good surgeons share; both are goal-oriented and need to be very precise; complex problem identification/diagnosis is the basis of their work, followed by the identification of effective and ‘elegant’ solutions; and both must exercise patience and perseverance to reach their goals. It is also truly relevant to the application to mention that I get along quickly with colleagues and patients and possess a well-developed sense of humor. I have become aware that interpreting and responding appropriately to non-verbal signals from patients is a key area of expertise and is a skill that I hope to develop in my work. I have observed many doctors at work, and the thing that seems to me to separate the ‘good’ from the ‘excellent’ is that in addition to caring for the patients, the latter also cares about them. The patients often are intuitively aware of the difference. I intend to be an excellent physician and surgeon, not merely a good one. I have at least confirmed to my satisfaction that I possess the characteristics required and considered whether I would find this work satisfying over a whole career. I am attracted by: the ‘hands-on’ nature of the work that separates it from other branches of medicine; the need for highly developed diagnostic skills; the need to apply problem-solving skills; the autonomy of the role; the fact that it involves teamwork; the ability to see and measure the results of my work and to interact with patients; the opportunity to sub-specialize once I have some experience; and the variety of the challenges faced each working day. I conclude that I am suited to general surgery, and general surgery will suit me. I know that cultural sensitivity and awareness are vital to those providing healthcare. I have happily studied, worked, and socialized with people of many cultural and social backgrounds. I look forward to extending this experience during my residency. I seek a Residency that will provide readily accessible support and increased autonomy as I progress. I also seek exposure to widely diverse conditions and patient types. My interests are in Cardiothoracic Surgery and Trauma/Critical Care. I also look forward to an opportunity to teach and share the benefits of the skills and knowledge I have acquired during my Residency. I know there will be many well-qualified applicants for residencies in general surgery, but I am an exceptional candidate for the reasons stated. However, my main recommendation is a passion for general surgery and to improve the lives of many by learning and applying the skills and knowledge that I shall acquire during the Residency. Residency Surgery Personal Statement, Cardiothoracic

I am a well-qualified physician and have considerable experience in practicing general medicine in India and substantial recent exposure to the US medical environment. I now feel ready to undertake an Internal Medicine and Pediatrics residency in a challenging but supportive environment. I excelled in science in high school, especially in biology and physics. I also wanted to have a career that involved contact with people and the opportunity to help them, so a medical career seemed an excellent choice. Such a choice involves a great deal of demanding work in any country, especially in India, since only 0.1% of senior secondary students seeking entry to medical school succeed in gaining admission. The medical school entrance examinations are fiercely competitive. I am immensely proud to be part of the small proportion that persevered, which is a good indicator of my determination, intelligence, and diligence. While still in high school in India, I volunteered to work in a primary care hospital in the countryside. I met a wonderful and inspiring doctor who used to devote half his working time to providing free treatment to needy patients. He showed me that medicine is a vocation and not merely a career choice, and I have always treated my work as such. He also fired an interest in equitable healthcare access and the problems of providing care to the poor and underserved, and my interest in helping to resolve this problem remains with me. During my undergraduate studies, I took every opportunity to join voluntary projects. Projects in which I was involved included blood donation camps, Aids awareness camps, and ‘Pulse Polio.’ I learned a great deal about the importance of health education and preventative medicine and retained a great interest in these vital aspects of treatment. My first internal medicine experience came from conducting research at Motilal Nehru Hospital. I was fortunate to observe several excellent internists and immediately felt that this was the specialty that would most suit my skills and characteristics and where I could do the best. I enjoy having substantial direct patient contact; I get on well with patients of all ages and types, especially children whose company I appreciate and who I love putting at ease. I am aware that effective treatment can only follow an accurate diagnosis and that diagnostics is an art requiring patient listening, remarkable observation, and other skills, such as an appreciation of the importance of non-verbal signals. My career has provided me with substantial exposure to various conditions and patient types that will help me to hit the ground running in a Med Peds residency. Med Peds attracts me because of the breadth of experience and exposure, the variety in the working day, and the opportunity to apply the critical diagnostic and bedside skills I have developed in my work. It also provides the opportunity to offer primary care to underserved communities. I have undertaken some practical medical research in the past, and I regard myself as having the characteristics of determination, curiosity, lateral thinking, and diligence necessary for successful research. I look forward to assisting with research during the residency. I am particularly interested in investigating the potential applications of alternate technologies in providing healthcare to the underserved, especially telemedicine. I am also interested in the effects of the ‘aging population’ and in finding effective ways to deal with this new phenomenon. I hold a US master's degree in health administration and am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in this discipline. These studies have provided me with an excellent understanding of healthcare provision in the US that will serve me well during my residency and beyond. They have also helped to hone my existing research skills. I am fully aware of the need for exceptional cultural awareness and sensitivity in healthcare provision. Since arriving in the US, I have happily worked and socialized with people of many cultural and social backgrounds, and I look forward to extending this experience during my residency. I come from a rural location and know that country people are friendly, honest, and open. It is my hope to serve in a rural community that is currently underserved in healthcare. I know that there will be many well-qualified applicants for Med Peds residency positions. However, I am an exceptional candidate. I have a good practical grounding in medicine and am an experienced researcher. Still, my main recommendation is a real passion for this specialty and a determination to acquire the specialist skills and knowledge to become an excellent practitioner. Med Peds Residency Personal Statement