From Personal Statement to Mission Statement

In recent years, the application process for residency education has come under increased review. Step 1 scores will be pass/fail starting in 2022. There has been controversy about grade inflation or the lack of grades altogether at many medical schools. Faculty letters of recommendation have been criticized that they often exhibit implicit bias against women and under-represented minorities or simply are too vague or generic to be useful. Given this difficult landscape, the personal statement carries increased importance to highlight our applicants’ unique motivations and interests. We propose a model that residency and fellowship applicants may employ to craft their personal statements.