How to Find a Cardiology Fellowship: Personal Statement Sample
If you are applying for a cardiology fellowship then you really need to stand out from the rest of the crowd. Cardiology fellowships can be difficult to get and you will have to face a stiff competition from others. For example, at Yale there are only 7 cardiology fellowships accepted each year even though hundreds and sometimes over a thousand people apply.
In order to stand out above the others many things must be taken into consideration but due to time restraints we will stick with the personal statement.
What it is
A personal statement is your initial way of introducing yourself to the panel who will be making the choices. It should highlight not only your personality but also why you chose medicine and why your passion is cardiology. Make it clear to the panel that you are committed and beyond that make it clear that you love the field. You will need to make those things clear in a manner that is organized, persuasive, mature, effective and engaging to the reader.
Importance
The impact that your personal statement has on the panel will be instrumental in deciding to choose you for an interview. Other things will also be considered such as your curriculum vitae, residence and many more things but the people on the panel will look at all of that as a series of data. Your personal statement will be the only personal thing that they will be able to judge you by unless and until they ask you to interview. If they are not impressed by what they see in the personal statement then your application will be round tabled (thrown away).
Things to Remember
If you want to go into a subspecialty then it must be made clear in your personal statement.
Always remember that they are judging you by this statement and cardiology is a field where attention to detail can be a matter of life and death. Pay close attention to your spelling, punctuation, sentence structure and grammar. Attention to details is crucial in your personal statement.
Include in your personal statement why you chose medicine and cardiology in particular. Explain how you struggled to get where you are now and what your goals are for the future along with what you plan to do in order to achieve those goals. Show them that you have what it takes to succeed.
When you have followed the tips outlined here and written your personal statement it would be a good idea to get no less than 3 different people to read over it and point out any errors or make suggestions. At least one of these people should be either a current or former instructor.