Hi Sarah,
It can be a very delicate balance in medical admissions writing. I also want to emphasize that while personal statements should never be too personal or explicitly personal--they should have some 'heart.'
Our main caveat is that the anchor of any type of medical personal statement should be something more concrete--an intellectual interest in the field or passion for a specialization, etc. We worked with a radiologist that had a background in engineering, and this was a great way to tease out how this career path united a passion for medicine and technological innovation; we worked with an ER surgeon who built his statement around the concept of challenge and teamwork.
While there is nothing revelatory about these 'anchors,' they were also expressed in a way that was very unique to the individual, interlaced with elements of his/her history. Particularly for residency applicants, I would encourage a deeper connection between events in your personal and professional background. There is a new baseline expectation for residency applicants and you want to make sure that your personal statement builds confidence, feels authentic and candid, and harmonizes the details of your past.
Cheers,
Janson
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com
