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Freelancer, Personal Statement, Residency

It’s Residency Personal Statement Season

Medical residency personal statement writing, editing, and proofreading are special niche services I provide.  With the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) going live for programs on September 15, we are rapidly approaching the point where all application materials need to be ready to upload.

As is the case every year, there are usually quite a few fourth year medical students and medical school graduates still working on their personal statements at this time. Some applicants are comfortable writing their own statements. Others prefer or need to get help from a professional to ensure their essay is as strong as it can be and devoid of glaring typos, grammatical errors, or inadvertent red flags.

If you’re looking to hire a freelancer, here are some tips to help you get the best personal statement possible without having to go through excessive revisions or paying for wasted time.

  • For writing services, good interview skills are essential
  • The freelancer will need information from you to revise or write your essay
  • Whether or not you know exactly what you want, be upfront on your vision
  • Don’t assume the freelancer will know the specifics about every residency*
  • Avoid unclear language when discussing the project to avoid costly mistakes
  • Answer freelancer questions thoroughly; too much information is better than not enough
  • Ask questions if you don’t understand what the freelancer tells you
  • Expect first drafts to be messy, possibly missing a conclusion or transitions
  • Writing and editing take time; try to be patient

As I return to work with my own personal statement clients this morning, I wish all residency applicants a successful interviewing season and a good Match.


*According to the National Residency Matching Program’s Results and Data Report for 2018, there were 37,103 active residency applicants competing for 33,167 positions in 4,523 programs across all specialties in the US.

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