roundabout Posted March 31, 2019 Share Posted March 31, 2019 So I am struggling immensely on where to begin with my personal statement. I have read several and the large majority of them open with a very dramatic or elaborate beginning. I don't really see this kind of opening for myself. I have a ton of healthcare experiences to draw back on from working as a Paramedic in the field for many years, but none are truly standing out to me as an opener. There are a few things that I personally think are super important for me to address in the PS. One of them being my lackluster academic performance that resulted in many withdraws and failures. The second being how understanding and implementing the skill of "time management" has drastically made me improve in my academics in the past couple of years. I literally went from one extreme to another, having nothing to do except study and failing classes, all the way to working over 60hrs a week, taking a full course load, and being married and a homeowner with straight A's. If anyone has the talent of writing and could lend me some tips to help me formulate my PS I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aba51 Posted March 31, 2019 Share Posted March 31, 2019 A lot of applicants start their personal statements with dramatic opener mainly because it grabs your attention. Everyone wants to stand out but it ends up being trite and unoriginal. If you feel that's not your style, then don't start out that way. You want your personal statement to reflect who you are as a person but also as a future PA. With that said, I would also not use this space to tell about your life's story. You still want to emphasize the qualities that will benefit showcasing who you are as a potential student at their program. You can input your academic hardships and the time-management skills you developed, but I wouldn't necessarily make it the focal point of your essay. Think of 1-2 themes and that can help your narrative have more flow and cohesion. Make sure that the majority of your essay points out the specifics of WHY the PA profession. Did you want to expand your paramedic scope of practice (reactive force vs proactive force)? Did you work or shadow any PAs and were inspired? This is a timely process. You might go through many drafts and many narratives before you come to your final one. Just keep brainstorming about some examples/experiences you've had that led you to want to pursue the PA profession. Be concise and straight to the point! Good luck! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 31, 2019 Moderator Share Posted March 31, 2019 53 minutes ago, aba51 said: A lot of applicants start their personal statements with dramatic opener mainly because it grabs your attention. Everyone wants to stand out but it ends up being trite and unoriginal. agree, I have seen too many that sound like war stories: "There I was, the amputated arm still dripping fresh blood tied to my back as I did 1 handed cpr while starting an IV and intubating. it was cold and dark, but then again it was Antarctica in January and there was no one else within 1000 miles...." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.