just curious how derm programs view regional- or program-specific personal statements--too much or a plus? any input is appreciated🙂
specific personal statements
- Thread starter exeunt
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If you have the time, it's always a plus to mention something program-specific or region-specific
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Do it. I regret not.
Cali: massively regionally biased; some of the West Coast kids I saw on big East Coast programs all garnered the UCSF/Stanford/USC/UC's invites. The East Coast interviewees I saw shared how sparse and random their west coast interviews were. I came from a top East Coast med school and went 1 for 11 in Cali despite having a permanent address there. You can afford to write an extra paragraph at the bottom of the PS about how much love you have for California or a super close 3rd cousin you want to be reunited with
Random places: there are programs that are great but in less popular places e.g. UMich, Mayo Clinic. They are fantastic programs, but you have to convince them you want to be in a cold small MidWestern city. So, any connection or love for these places...put it in the personal statement. It will get you a 2nd read.
Programs are overwhelmed by the candidates that apply. They use geographical bias and who is likely to rank them highly to narrow the list. You should frame yourself as the candidate that would put any program you apply to as your number 1; geography be damned, 3rd cousin be damned.
Cali: massively regionally biased; some of the West Coast kids I saw on big East Coast programs all garnered the UCSF/Stanford/USC/UC's invites. The East Coast interviewees I saw shared how sparse and random their west coast interviews were. I came from a top East Coast med school and went 1 for 11 in Cali despite having a permanent address there. You can afford to write an extra paragraph at the bottom of the PS about how much love you have for California or a super close 3rd cousin you want to be reunited with
Random places: there are programs that are great but in less popular places e.g. UMich, Mayo Clinic. They are fantastic programs, but you have to convince them you want to be in a cold small MidWestern city. So, any connection or love for these places...put it in the personal statement. It will get you a 2nd read.
Programs are overwhelmed by the candidates that apply. They use geographical bias and who is likely to rank them highly to narrow the list. You should frame yourself as the candidate that would put any program you apply to as your number 1; geography be damned, 3rd cousin be damned.
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I think it helps IF you're coming from a medical school that normally would not place at their type of program. For example, if you go to a top tier highly academic school, many derm programs that aren't like that will assume that you just applied to their program just because. So esp. if you have a connection there in some way, or rotated there, a program specific personal statement would help. Not everyone from a top tier, academic medical school wants to go to a highly academic, research oriented derm program.
Remember, that derm programs have only a set number of interviews they dole out and thus they want to maximize the number of people who are actually interested in attending their program. You can gain a lot of information about a derm program by looking at their website (or lack of website).