When it comes to applying for professional school, crafting a personal statement is an important component that can influence the admissions committees’ perception—offering the opportunity for applicants to stand out from the crowd.
Students at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) aspiring to attend medical, dental and physician assistant schools crafted personal statements at a free workshop in February. The workshop was hosted by EKU’s College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in partnership with Sway Essay and paid for by the Southern Kentucky Area Health Education Center (AHEC). With a proven record of clients being admitted into professional schools, Tara Kaprowy, founder of Sway Essay, provided detailed assistance from brainstorming to final editing.
Kaprowy facilitated brainstorming sessions during the workshop, using several prompts and detailed lists to help students begin to draft an outline for their statements. She also shared several examples, showing what a cohesive and introspective personal statement should look like.
In a short essay, a personal statement explains the person, why they want to enter the health profession they have chosen and the experiences that have prepared them. Students were engaged during the workshop, taking notes and asking questions on how to structure their drafts. Juniors and seniors in pre-professional majors left the workshop with compelling statements to use for their medical school or other professional graduate school applications.
Braelyn Cameron, a junior biomedical sciences major from Richmond who participated in the workshop, said, “While transcripts and scores are definitely important within such a competitive process, my personal statement will allow me to stand out and really let my passion and personality shine through the application.”
After graduation, Cameron hopes to be admitted to a medical school and eventually practice surgery as a physician.
EKU prepares students for medical education with several pre-health degree paths in biomedical sciences and chemistry, state-of-the-art labs and classrooms, individualized support and hands-on learning experiences.
EKU College of STEM plans to continue bringing resources like this workshop to students, giving them the best opportunity to be successful beyond their time at EKU. The university aims to expand healthcare education and access with its proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine.
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