NRMP RESIDENCY PERSONAL STATEMENT

I’m a first generation American, the only child of hardworking, humble immigrants. I have always wanted to be a physician. I joined the local volunteer Ambulance Corps and became an EMT while I was in High School. While still a teenager, I became a paramedic and worked full time in College.

Then disaster struck. I applied to Medical School and I didn’t get in. [Don't go out of your way to highlight any missteps on your way through the medical field] I was heartbroken. It never occurred to me that I might not get accepted. I felt completely lost. The only dream I ever had, the one that I had spent so many hours working on, was now dead. A part of me just died. It was one of the few times I ever cried. I know had to live with a void that could never filled.

Looking back, not getting accepted to Medical School in 1985 was probably the best thing that could have happened to me. It fueled a desire in me to find something else. Fortunately, I found an area where I have become more financially successful than I deserve. But I still felt that emptiness. Although I never stopped working as a paramedic, it just wasn’t enough. I always craved more. Years later, I decided to give Medical School one last try. This time I was accepted. The void began to fill. I would like the opportunity to learn more and complete the process. [OK, now what specialty are you applying to? What are your plans for residency? Too much emphasis is placed on getting into Med School, nothing really about residency at all!]