Question:

**Need you to write me a personal statement for Pediatric Residency

Excite the reader by beginning your essay with an attention grabber (story, quote, details about a patient case or specific medical school memory) that is relevant to your essay. State the theme of your essay clearly in the beginning paragraph or first few lines. 

Within your essay, it is important to address: 
1) why you are choosing a specific field 
2) what are you looking for in a residency program 
3) what you are hoping to do in the future within your career (ie. are you interested in an academic career, in specializing, in treating a specific population like the underserved, in health policy, etc.)
4) why you feel you are a strong candidate for that specific specialty.

While addressing these points, it helps to have an overarching theme to tie it all together and help the essay flow. Some people choose to use a patient case or a formative experience in medical school or life that led them to their field of interest.

Be specific. Provide concrete examples that pertain to your life, goals and experiences. Your readers should walk away from your essay with a clear idea of what you are passionate about, who you are, and what type of doctor you are hoping to become. It is only possible to paint this vivid picture of yourself if you use real, concrete examples and details.

The conclusion of your essay should revisit your theme and tie your essay together. Your last sentence should be strong and persuasive about you as a candidate and your hopes for the future.

Answer:

Pediatric Residency Personal Statement

Without children, life would be dull and uninspiring. I learnt this when I was ten years old when my younger brother, then aged only five, fell ill and was recuperating at the local health centre. Prior to this illness, I was used to his jovial character that always made our home lively. I was so concerned about his illness and I did not want to imagine him dead. During that period of anticipation, my interest in pediatrics quickly took shape, and before long, I started having a strong feeling that I wanted to pursue a medical career. This feeling, which exists in me even today, was reinforced when I visited my brother in hospital and noticed the enormous positive influence that medication had on him. This personal statement is an assertion of my interest in pediatric residency and the role that this great opportunity will have on my career line.

The main reason for choosing pediatrics is that it is an exciting and challenging field with plenty of opportunities for physicians to incorporate different talents so as to offer quality care. This is the only field in medicine that fully incorporates my interests. As a pediatrician, I am confident that I will be acting as an advocate of all children who are in need of medical care, just as the doctor did when my younger brother fell ill. Pediatricians always have a tremendous long-term impact on society mainly because they take an active role in ensuring that children go through a healthy growth and development process.

In the residency program, I am looking for an opportunity to advance in my career by gaining sufficient experience to enable me go through the challenging rigors of this branch of medicine. I am looking for a chance to position myself as a role model for children in the community by encouraging them to continually develop their talents so that they can contribute to community-wide healthy lifestyles in the future.

My interests go beyond the clinical realm of pediatrics. I appreciate the need to care for children as individuals and as members of the community. I am keen to play a crucial role in addressing all the varied health disparities existing in the United States. Specifically, I am keen to work with disadvantaged, low-income individuals so as to increase their accessibility to healthcare. My intention is to use the knowledge acquired to influence policy decisions that affect our children in society locally, nationally, and internationally.

I feel I am the best candidate for the pediatric residency largely because of the balance that I have been able to strike between medical school education and extracurricular experiences. Just like Ledley (1993), I consider this balance a great necessity in the task of establishing a social link that enable me understand the health challenges facing children and how best to address them. In the course of maintaining a balance in these activities, I gained immense experience needed for understanding the immense potential that children have if only they are accorded health opportunities. I learnt this fact first-hand at an early age when my five-year-old brother fell ill. In that instant, I appreciated the huge potential of children to transform homes into lively places worth living in.

Moreover, my volunteer and extracurricular activities have enabled me learn how to relate well with people from diverse backgrounds as well as to establish rapport with patients and co-workers alike. I am always able to listen to other people and to regard all their feelings with the utmost concern that they deserve. I am strongly convinced that the best opportunity for me to optimize my potential, advance my career and be of good use to society is in the pediatric residency.

References

Ledley, F. (1993) Factors Influencing the Interests, Career Paths, and Research Activities of Recent Graduates From an Academic, Pediatric Residency Program, Pediatrics, 92(3), 436 – 441.