Writing a Compelling Personal Statement

It's that time of year... Check out my Student Doctor Network® article on how to craft a persuasive personal statement. Remember the goal is to convince the reader of your worthiness – not simply tell a story.

How to Be Happy in Residency

I'm sending a big congratulations to all of those residency candidates who successfully matched last week! Next year will be the start of something wonderful and challenging. Here are my tips for being happy (or at least as happy as possible) during residency:

1. Physician heal thyself. You will be working a ton, but eating healthfully and getting exercise will make everything a little better.

2. You've got a friend. You may be working 80-hour weeks, but plan to spend at least half an hour every week catching up with someone who makes you laugh.

3. Vacation - all I ever wanted. Figure out somewhere fun you want to travel when you are not working, and then happily anticipate the trip.

4. Date night. Take time out for your spouse or partner. Although I was not yet married when I trained, I remember being upset by seeing several marriages and relationships split up. You can never get that back. (This advice goes for children too, if you have them. You have an even greater challenge ahead of you than most if you are a parent in residency.)

5. Dance dance party party. Knitting, hiking, dancing, watching movies, kayaking, reading - whatever it is , do not let yourself become unidimensional.

6. Realize that the honking drivers have simply had a bad day. When I was in medical school, a brilliant upper classman came to speak to us about being on the wards. He told us that when someone aggressively honks at you on the road, it's often because s/he in a bad mood - not because you are about to cause an accident. The same is true in the hospital. Tired, burned out professionals can make you feel bad. Don't let them.

Won't Hire a Chef Who Hasn't Been in the Kitchen

Pre-meds, as you prepare your candidacy - either for this year's application cycle or one in the future - please recall that it is absolutely critical that you have clinical experience to be a competitive applicant. Even excellent grades and MCAT scores rarely overcome the limitations of a lack of patient contact. See my less-than-one-minute Guru on the Go® video below "Med Schools, No Patience for No Patients" for a quick review of this topic.

An Offer You Can't Refuse

I speak to a few lucky medical school and residency applicants who are asked to write their own letters of recommendation. If you have this opportunity, first, realize that it is not unethical to write your own letter if you're asked. If you'd like to explore the scruples of this issue, take a look at this New York Times ethicist column about this exact topic.

The mistake I see candidates make in these situations is that they feel awkward about showcasing their accomplishments fully in their letters. If you have this opportunity, write a glowing letter. Be effusive and full-throated in your compliments to yourself. After all, the letter writer can always tone it down if s/he doesn't agree. But if s/he does, you have bolstered your candidacy tremendously.

The Fresh-Faced Physician’s Fade

Here’s a piece that is not for the faint of heart: Dr. Sandra Scott Simons is a nocturnist emergency physician who describes how disappointed her earlier-self would have been in what medical care giving has become.