examples of personal statements for physical therapy school

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PT School Personal Statement Examples: a Quick Guide

Table of Contents

Your statement is your chance to “sell” yourself to the admissions committee. We have great PT school personal statement examples to inspire you in crafting your statement.

We hope they provide a wealth of insights into the personal statement process and help you achieve admission to your dream PT school.

What Is a PT Personal Statement?

Personal statements for physiotherapy programs are creative writing assignments required for the UCAS application. It helps the admissions committee decide if you’re a good fit for their class and institution .

When applying to an undergraduate or graduate program, you’ll need to highlight your talents, achievements, and goals in your statement.

If you’re anything like most applicants, the mere thought of writing a personal statement makes you break out in a cold sweat. However, we have made it easy by detailing what to include in a PT personal statement.

How to Write an Outstanding PT Personal Statement

Writing a PT personal statement can be nerve-wracking. However, these steps will help you write an impressive personal statement that brings it all together in one successful, polished piece.

• Begin with a few phrases on an experience that ignited your interest in the field.
• Highlight your interest in physiotherapy by discussing pertinent aspects of your work experience, reading, hobbies, or anything else you find interesting.
• Share what you’ve learned about physiotherapy and what you find most interesting about the field. Tutors in charge of admissions want to see that you have done your homework and are prepared for the program’s challenges.
• You’ll need great people skills, the ability to work well in a team, and patience to succeed as a physiotherapist. Keep these talents in mind while you write the rest of your statement.

PT School Personal Statement Examples

Remember, your statement is only a small part of the application process and should be manageable. These INK examples detail what to write and how to write it, so it impacts the admission board.

I have always been passionate about the art of physical therapy. I also have a long-standing interest in human anatomy and kinesiology that was further stoked during my undergraduate studies. In particular, I found myself captivated by musculoskeletal injury prevention and management. I want to explore novel ways to enhance biomechanical efficiency through various stretching and movement exercises. My curiosity quickly translated into tangible accomplishments, such as designing several clinical interventions for athletes suffering from injuries or chronic conditions.

I believe PT school will provide me with the necessary skill set to embark on a meaningful career in helping people. As such, I am eager to hone my knowledge and develop effective strategies to rehabilitate clients. By utilizing evidence-based practices, I aspire to use my creativity to find innovative solutions tailored to each individual’s needs. Additionally, providing compassionate care is critical in helping patients reach their goals and regaining quality of life.

Pursuing physical therapy would allow me to make a lasting difference in the lives of those around me. With this in mind, I look forward to combining my enthusiasm and expertise with the invaluable experience offered by your esteemed program. It will help me become a highly competent practitioner and leader in this field.

I have long aspired to attend physical therapy school to hone my natural talents and knowledge of the human body. I possess a unique combination of practical skills and expertise that will make me an asset at any educational institution.

I’ve always had a passion for health and wellness, honed through years of recreational and professional experience. As a volunteer ambulance driver with a rural hospital, I regularly saw firsthand how physical therapy could dramatically improve lives. Further, my work as a strength trainer has provided me with invaluable insight into effective patient rehabilitation and injury prevention. In short, I am intimately familiar with therapeutic techniques designed to restore mobility, correct alignment issues, and reduce pain.

Moreover, I understand the emotional component of healing. Having endured numerous sports injuries myself, I relate deeply to those struggling with their conditions. This empathy allows me to create personalized treatment plans tailored to meet each client’s individual needs. My goal is not just to treat ailments but also to alleviate suffering, providing holistic care and gentle guidance every step of the way.

My diverse skill set and compassionate nature would be a perfect fit for physical therapy school. Therefore, I request that you consider me as an applicant.

Yours truly,

Final Words

These PT school personal statement examples above outline how to present your skills clearly and set yourself apart from competitors . It uses specific details to convey unique qualities.

Review these sample personal statements to learn more about what makes a persuasive personal statement. They also make great comparison points when building your PT school personal statement.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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The Ultimate Guide to Writing PT School Application Essays

Here are some pointers for writing essays when you apply to physical therapy school. Please know that there isn’t a single best way to write your essays and everyone will answer each prompt differently, so do what works for you!

Essays are challenging to write, especially without any guidance. I had about 10 revisions of each of the 7 essays I wrote, had several people read them each time, and still had trouble writing some of them.

How to Start Writing Your Essay

1. Organize Your Thoughts

Write down the essay prompt, either on a computer or by hand. Read it a couple times, even out loud, until you have a good idea of what it is asking.

Then write down any thoughts that came to mind. They can be related to the prompt, or you can just write down what you like about the physical therapy profession or any specific experiences that stand out to you.

It doesn’t matter if you’ll actually end up writing about them. Don’t worry about your grammar or if it is written well. Just write down all of your thoughts into bullet points, or just a few words or a sentence for each idea.

If you are having trouble coming up with ideas, there is a section at the end of this post just for you. There are a lot of questions that may help you come up with ideas for your essay, so go check them out!

2. Turn your ideas into paragraphs

Write more about each point that you wrote down. Try to form a paragraph and relate it back to the prompt. If you’re struggling on writing more than a sentence or two about the bullet point, then maybe one of your other ideas will be better to include in your essay.

3. Choose 2-3 things to talk about

Now that you’ve written as much as you can about each bullet point, you should start to see a general direction to keep writing your essay. What are your favorite topics? What ideas can relate to each other to make a cohesive essay? What ideas answer the prompt the best?

4. Form a Complete Essay

Now that you’ve chosen your favorite paragraphs, format them into one essay. Now you can add an introduction paragraph that briefly mentions these paragraphs and your overall topic. Then you can add a conclusion.

5. Edit Your Essay

Now that you have a complete essay, you can read it from beginning to end. If it doesn’t flow well between each paragraph, add some transition sentences. If you don’t answer the prompt very well, rewrite some sentences. Keep editing and rewording until the essay is finished.

How Do You Format Your Essay?

You can format your essay however you like! I recommend that you have an introduction, some body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, you don’t need your typical “5 paragraph” essay. Some supplemental essays may also have a shorter length, so you might only write two paragraphs.

You can indent each new paragraph, or just put a space between paragraphs instead of indenting, unless the school states that there is a specific way they want you to format your essay.

General Tips for PT School Essays

I know that writing your essays is not as simple as those 5 steps. It can take weeks and be mentally exhausting. However, I’ve included a bunch of tips to help guide you to writing a great essay.

• Be careful what you write about patients. If you choose to write about a patient, don’t include any specific personal information like their name, ethnicity, or occupation, or you will be violating HIPAA. Describing their general age, condition, gender, what setting you observed in, general occupation if it relates to your story, and what interventions were used is perfectly fine.
• Don’t use contractions.  I just did, but that’s besides the point! Contractions are too casual, so avoid them if possible.
• First-person speech.  It’s ok to say “I” and talk in first person. You’re writing about yourself, after all! Just make sure that you vary your sentence structure so that you don’t begin every sentence with “I”. There is never any reason to say “I think” in any sentence. It sounds unprofessional, so just delete it.
• Focus on the positives.  If you had any negative experiences, setbacks, or mistakes, don’t spend too much time writing about them. Explain yourself in a couple sentences, but focus on what you learned and how you’ve bettered yourself. Don’t dwell on the past, but try to focus on the positive results.
• Try to avoid clichés.  Almost everyone can write about how they want to be a physical therapist because they love to help people, or because they got injured and need physical therapy. You can briefly write these things, but you need to have other, more personal experiences that you can write about. Be sure to set yourself apart from others.
• Why have you chosen each school?  For supplemental essays for a specific school, make sure to mention why you want to go to their school, if it fits into the prompt. It’s good to show that you’ve done your research and are excited to attend their program for specific reasons.
• Answer the question.  It’s self-explanatory, but it’s so easy to get caught up in what you’re writing and go in a direction that doesn’t answer the original prompt. Make sure everything that appears in the essay helps to answer the prompt in some way.
• Have others read and edit your essay. Family members, friends, classmates, college writing center, or people on the Student Doctor Network Forums can all help your essay. It’s so beneficial to have an outside perspective on essays, especially because the admissions committee reading your essay won’t read it in the same way that you do. Try to have as many people critique your essay as possible.
• If you ask for help online, don’t post your entire essay for everyone on the internet to read. Make a new thread or comment on a current essay thread, and send an email directly to the person willing to read your essay. There are people that might steal your essay and use it as their own, so be careful who you send it to.
• Take a break from writing. Constantly thinking about your essay, rewriting, and editing is exhausting. It’s helpful to take a few days from working on your essay, and then come back to it with a fresh start.
• Try writing in different environments. I wrote mostly at home, but found that I got stuck with my writing. I started to write at coffee shops, which helped me be more productive. Try working at a library, outside, at a friend’s house, or in a different room in your own house.
• Essays can take weeks to write.  Make sure you start early enough so you aren’t stressed out from trying to meet an upcoming deadline. Start working on your essays as soon as possible.
• Be careful when writing multiple essays.  The PTCAS essay is sent to every school, so don’t copy and paste the same paragraphs into any supplemental essays. However, if two different schools have an essay prompt that is similar, then feel free to similar paragraphs.
• Essays are weighed differently by each school.  Some might not even read the PTCAS essay, others care more about their supplemental essays, or some schools do not care much about a well-written essay.
• Maximum character length.  You don’t have to write 4498 out of 4450 characters for your essay to be great.  Shorter is fine if you can get your point across. Aim for the character maximum, but it’s fine to have several hundred less than that.
• What if you wrote too much?  Worry about the essay length after you have written your thoughts down. When you are finalizing your essay, remove the repetitive information and anything that does not support the prompt, for starters. Then you can try rewording your sentences so they get straight to your point.

Tips for Specific Essays

If you’re stuck with writing your essays, see if you can answer these questions. You don’t need to answer all of them or any of them to write a great essay. A lot of these questions will overlap and be useful on other prompts, so make sure to read through everything if you need help.

Hopefully these questions will get you out of any writers block you may have.

PTCAS Essay

You can find the essay prompt on the PTCAS Essay page , or on their Facebook page once it is released. When I applied in 2014, the essay prompt was released in early June, and the PTCAS application opened in early July. This gave me an entire month to write my essay before I could even start my PTCAS application.

The essay prompt changes every year or every several years, so I can’t give great advice for this. These are some tips from past essays, so hopefully they help.

• How have your life experiences shaped who you are?
• What observation experiences can you talk about?
• Are there any patients that have influenced you?
• How has an experience impacted how you want to want to practice physical therapy?
• Who are the most influential people in your life?
• When did you know that you wanted to be a physical therapist?
• When have you been on a team or worked in a group? How was the team approach better than working by yourself?
• Where do you see the field of physical therapy going, and how do you fit into that picture?
• What sort of physical therapist to you see yourself being?
• How would you treat your future patients?
• What dream goals do you have?
• What character traits are important to have as a physical therapist
• What experiences have strengthened those traits for you, or what traits are you currently working on?
• How has your time spent as a patient affected how you will be a physical therapist?
• Are there any specific therapists that you wish to be like, or any therapists that you don’t want to become?
• Why will you be valuable to this profession?
• Are you interested in teaching, research, owning your own business, traveling, working for a nonprofit, or volunteering in another country?

Autobiography Essay

• What challenges have you overcome in your life?
• What are some of your major accomplishments?
• Why do you want to be a physical therapist?
• What things have you done that helped you grow as an individual
• What activities have you participated in?
• Who are some influential people on your life?
• How have your family, friends, or peers shaped who you are today?
• How would other people describe you?
• What 5 words describe you the best?
• What character traits are important for a physical therapist to have? Do you have these traits, or how are you improving them?
• What is important to you?
• How will your experiences make you a successful physical therapy student/physical therapist?
• How did your upbringing shape your personality, and how will that make you a better physical therapist?
• How have your experiences led you to the physical therapy career instead of other health care careers?
• Is there a central theme about your life experiences?
• How can you contribute to the field of physical therapy and your future patients?

Diversity Essay

• Describe your life experience as it is related to your culture.
• Is it hard to understand others who are from a different culture?
• Do you have a culturally different perspective than your peers?
• Does your culture have a different set of health care beliefs, or have you encountered another culture with different beliefs?
• Have you had an experience in life where you felt like your culture created a barrier for you?
• Have you volunteered for an economically disadvantaged population?
• Do you have trouble relating to higher socioeconomic classes?
• Have your experiences helped you relate better to certain people?
• Have you witnessed any social, cultural, or economic barriers when observing in a health care setting?
• How have you learned from any of these experiences?
• How does recognizing, understanding, or appreciating diversity make you a better physical therapist?
• Have you worked with individuals with disabilities?
• How do these experiences support that you will be able to work with diverse patients when you are a physical therapist?

Reapplicant Essay

• Have you retaken any classes?
• Did you retake the GRE?
• Do you have additional observation experiences?
• Did you observe in any new settings or see a different patient population?
• Did you have any additional work experience?
• Where you involved in any groups or team sports?
• Did you volunteer?
• How are you more prepared to be a successful student?
• Have you improved any personal skills?
• Have you worked with individuals that are different or gave you a unique perspective?
• What have you learned and how have you improved?
• How did these new experiences change your perspective, improve your application, change your personality, taught you something new, made you grow, or support your desire to become a physical therapist?

Does Your Academic Record Accurately Reflect Your Capabilities?

Most people say that you should only answer this section if something major happened in your life that was out of your control, like an illness, personal injury, family emergency, death of a loved one, etc.

Don’t use this area to write a list of excuses for why your grades weren’t as good as you wished. Examples of excuses: Explaining that you weren’t mature enough, didn’t study hard enough, partied too much, took too many difficult classes, or went to a challenging university. Those are excuses because you were responsible and they could have been avoided or handled better. If you are eager to explain yourself, you can try to add a sentence or two into your PTCAS essay.

A lot of people had lower grades at the beginning of their college career, so if your grades improved over time and your transcript shows that, you don’t need to write an essay to explain yourself.  It takes a while to learn how to succeed in college, and admissions committees understand that.

Additional Resources

Unfortunately there isn’t much information about physical therapy school essays. I found these resources for general essay writing, grad school essays, and med school essays, but they’re mostly applicable to physical therapy school too!

PTCAS Essay Prompt Essay Workshop 101 Writing the Personal Statement Personal Statement Before You Write Your Personal Statement, Read This Writing Your Medical School Personal Statement: Tips and Myths Writing the Personal Statement for Medical School

Student Doctor Network Forums:

Supplemental Essays character limit   PTCAS Essay question for 2015-2016 application cycle! Essay   This year’s personal statement prompt? Should I or should I not write about this in my essay? Re-applicant essay Does your personal statement have to be 4500 characters? 

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Pingback: PTCAS: Personal Statement/Essays

The link you set for the reapplicant essay doesn’t lead to that blog post. I wanted to ask if you know if reapplicants should submit the same essays if the essay question is the same this year?

Sorry for taking so long to reply! I just saw your comment this morning.

Thank you for letting me know about the link. Occasionally blogs are taken down, so I’ll have to go through and make sure to remove all the links to that site.

That’s a tough question, and I don’t think there is really a correct answer. If you read the Student Doctor Network forums , you can find others who have run into the same situation. Do you know why you were not accepted the first time around? If you didn’t meet the GPA or GRE requirements, your application may have been automatically disqualified and your essays might have never been read. You can choose to use the same exact essay, but hopefully they haven’t been read by the same program already. You can also choose to edit your essays a little bit, and maybe add any new experiences that you’ve had since you last applied.

Best of luck this application cycle! 🙂

Hi Katie! I’ve been reading your blog for a while now and I really appreciate it!!! I’m just wandering if you know any PT personal essay editing service?

Hey Lauren! Sorry for the delay in my response, and I hope it isn’t too late.

When I was applying to schools, I sent my essays to 3-4 of my friends (including an English major), so I got tons of feedback from them. There’s also the Student Doctor Network forums, and there are DPT students and PTs that offer up their spare time to edit essays! Just be cautious when sending your essay to strangers on the forum – make sure that they have a decent number of posts on that site.

I’m not sure if there is an essay editing service online, specific towards PT admissions essays.

If you need any last minute help, feel free to email me your essay and I can give some comments! Best of luck with getting into schools! 🙂

I’m almost finished with my PTCAS application process and I found this. Super helpful, I’m making some edits to my essay now. Thank you!

You’re welcome! I’m glad I could help! Good luck with applying and everything.

Thank you, that was so helpful!

You’re welcome! Thanks for the nice comment 🙂 glad I was able to help!

Sharing clinical sprinkles about physical therapy.

Ptcas personal statement prompt 2021-2022.

If you're applying for a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program for the 2021-2022 cycle, you're in the right place.

This year's prompt matches last year's prompt which is:

Every person has a story that has led them to a career. Since there are a variety of health professions that “help” others, please go beyond your initial interaction or experience with physical therapy, and share the deeper story that has confirmed your decision to specifically pursue physical therapy as your career.

This is an elaborate way of asking... Why physical therapy? Why PT above all other health professions?

If your answer is simply, "because I want to help people," I'm going to be the one to tell you that you're going to need to dig a lot deeper than that. The prompt literally asks for a deeper story.

You don't have to have been a patient in PT to want to apply to PT school. I hadn't been a patient myself before I applied to school. Through observation hours and more, I found my calling in PT. I share my "PT why" in my personal statement for the 2013-2014 cycle here .

If you're finding yourself scrambled on how to write your essay or even how to start, a coaching call may be the best option for you. I've helped several pre-PT, pre-OT, pre-PA, and pre-med, students with their personal statements, and they've successfully been accepted. I specialize in finding the deeper WHY and making sure the writer is showing, not telling. 

If you've already have what you think is a close-to-final draft, I also provide consults to go over the essay with an unbiased view and help you bring in an emotional touch to your story to captivate the reader. I had a less than ideal application and I believe my personal statement helped me stand out. Read more about my less-than-ideal application here .

Good luck to all of those applying! And follow @clinicalsprinkles on Instagram for more application tips and learning about the life of an outpatient ortho PT.

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The Curly Clinician - Physical Therapy + Lifestyle

PTCAS Essay 2020-2021/2021-2022/2022-2023: Initial Thoughts + 5 Tips

June 25, 2020 Physical Therapy , Pre-PT , PTCAS & Planning

Hi friends! Long time no personal statement post! PTCAS updated their essay for the 2020-2021 cycle, so I figured I’d give you guys my initial thoughts on the essay prompt and share a few tips to help you get started on crafting a winning essay!

PTCAS Essay Prompt : Every person has a story that has led them to a career. Since there are a variety of health professions that “help” others, please go beyond your initial interaction or experiences with physical therapy, and share the deeper story that has confirmed your decision to specifically pursue physical therapy as your career.

In my opinion, I think this is a great essay prompt! It is way better than the one I had to answer when I applied in my opinion: “What is professionalism in the context of being a student in a doctor of physical therapy program?”…yea bleh. This prompt isn’t too vague; it’s just specific enough so that you know exactly what admissions committees are looking for, but you still have free range to make it personal and add your own flare.

1. Answer the prompt, period.

I know this may seem obvious, but I have edited many essays for pre-PT students, and have come across essays that didn’t even answer the prompt. This is a sure-fire way to stop someone from reading your essay, so follow directions, and try not to deviate too far from the prompt.

2. Wanting to “help others” is not enough.

Almost everyone wants to be a physical therapist because they want to help people, or because they had an awesome physical therapist when they were injured. While this is great, admissions committees want to hear why you want to become a physical therapist (which is why they explicitly included this in the prompt) as opposed to an MD/DO, a PA, an OT. Really think about WHY you want to help people. What are your passions? Pull from your life experiences (healthcare and/or non-healthcare related) to make your essay more personal.

3. What is your s tory?

Everyone has a story. Like the prompt requires, you must go beyond your initial experiences with physical therapy. Did you have a really impactful patient? A family tie? A childhood experience? Whatever it is, tell it! Your story will always be enough. This may require a bit of brainstorming (and deep thought), and that’s fine. Remember that admissions committees aren’t looking for this extravagant story though, they just want to know you and why physical therapy is the right fit. This is your personal statement…make it PERSONAL!

For example, my “PT story” includes the lack of representation for Black women in academia in general, but especially in the physical therapy profession. I began my essay discussing my first real experience with representation: receiving a Holiday Barbie doll that was Black every year for Christmas as a child. This was a piece of my story, and I used it to explain why physical therapy was the career choice for me, and how it made me a great applicant.

4. Make sure your essay has structure.

You need to have an introduction (with a captivating opener to engage the reader), and a conclusion to bring your essay full circle. I began my essay with a childhood memory (as mentioned earlier), but you could begin with a quote (kinda cliché, but you could make it work), a question, a general idea, or something else. You want to grab the reader’s attention immediately !

5. Show, don’t tell!

Use lots of examples. Show your story, don’t just tell it. The reader must be able to visualize your words, so that your story can come to life. You can achieve this by having a “theme” that you incorporate into your essay.

Alright guys, I hope this was helpful, and is a good start to helping you craft an awesome essay. Remember that I am available for editing (this essay, supplemental essays, and resumes), so click here if that is something you are interested in! Also feel free to check out this post for more tips on writing your essay(s)!

Special thanks to my sweet friend Yusra . She wrote a post like this on a past PTCAS prompt, and it inspired me to write one with my thoughts for this year’s prompt!

Reader Interactions

July 2, 2020 at 1:10 pm

Hi, thank you so much for these helpful tips! Do you think it best to discuss one personal experience when writing the personal statement or is it okay to talk about more than one?

July 5, 2020 at 3:53 pm

You’re so welcome! And I think it is okay to discuss more than one, just not too many!

July 22, 2020 at 10:20 pm

Hello, I was wondering if you could just glance over my essay and let me know if the structure is fine?

July 25, 2020 at 12:36 pm

Hi, I offer editing services under my “shop/services” page!

July 25, 2020 at 11:38 am

Wonderful insight! These tips gave me some great ideas for my essay after weeks of being lost with this prompt. Thank you so much!

July 25, 2020 at 12:38 pm

You’re so welcome, good luck with everything!

August 18, 2020 at 10:33 pm

Awesome thank you!

September 13, 2020 at 11:56 pm

What do you think is an appropriate length for the essay. The maximum word limit is 4500 but I’m afraid of writing too much that it might loose the interest of the reader and too little that the reader may not see my personality/experience detail.

September 15, 2020 at 7:42 pm

You should definitely try your hardest to hit the 4500 CHARACTER limit!

September 24, 2020 at 11:24 am

Hello, I am having the hardest time starting on my personal essay. I know exactly what I want to say, I just do not have right words at the moment. When I first read your tips, I had the perfect flow going but now I am stuck.

September 24, 2020 at 3:40 pm

Hi Alicia! My biggest piece of advice for when you are stuck is to take a break. Coming back to your essay later with a fresh pair of eyes can be a game changer. I hope this helps!

January 5, 2021 at 4:20 pm

Hey girly! Thank you so much for all the info! It’s been really helpful exploring your blog! I’m a little confused on the how often the prompts change for the personal statements. Is it every two years that a new prompt gets put out?

January 5, 2021 at 5:41 pm

You’re so welcome! And yes typically they change every 2 years!

July 28, 2022 at 10:40 am

Thank you so much for all this info! It’s been super helpful as my college also did not have a Pre-PT club. When writing the PTCAS essay, is it okay to use “PT” instead of physical therapy or things like “PT school”? I am right over the 4500 character limit and am trying to cut some things out! Thank you for all of your help!

August 18, 2022 at 10:36 pm

You’re so welcome Sarah! Yes, that is totally fine!

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PT School Consulting

Mentoring Services for the Life Cycle of the PT Student

PERSONAL STATEMENT (ESSAY)

The Personal Statement (Essay) Service is a set of three one hour online video conferences and/or phone discussions that will target the PT school personal statement (essay).

Our first session will focus on brainstorming ideas for your PT school personal statement and outlining the essay. The next two sessions will focus on editing the essay to perfection. We will review how to make yourself stand out and convey that unspoken key to getting your personal statement read by the admissions committee. 

$450 (3 sessions included)

What is a Personal Statement?

The Personal Statement is a chance for you to show the admissions committee who you are beyond the data in your application. In an essay format, you can expand upon your character, goals, and background, allowing the admissions committee to get to know you.

Each year, the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) provides a different prompt for the personal statement. The Personal Statement is submitted to every school to which you apply, so it gives you the opportunity to set yourself apart from the other applicants.

You’re given about one page, or 4,500 characters, to answer the PTCAS prompt. Through these 4,500 characters, you’re not just telling the admissions committees who you are… you’re showing them.

How PT School Consulting Works

1. brainstorm.

Our first session will help you brainstorm ideas for your essay.

Our next two sessions will involve editing your essay until it is perfect.

3. Strategies

We will discuss key ways to get your essay read by the admissions committee.

Contact us if you would like to purchase the Personal Statement (Essay) Edits service. We will respond to your message with a secure link to purchase this service using PayPal.

Personal Statement Tips for Physiotherapy School Admissions

Written by Anthony Pinto Da Costa

Admissions | applications, 0comment(s), october 1, 2021.

Of all the requirements for PT school in Canada , the personal statement is definitely one that raises the eyebrows of many applicants each and every year. The confusion is largely due to the ambiguity of piecing together a descriptive essay about yourself that conveys to admissions committees that you’re the right fit for their program.

Some of the common inquiries we hear with each passing application cycle include:

• How do I write a good personal statement?
• What do I need to include in my personal statement?
• What do admissions committees want to hear?
• How do I organize all of my thoughts into a brief but strong personal statement?

At PhysioSchool.ca, we hear you loud and clear. We had all of the same questions when we were applying, which is why we’re writing this blog today to answer your questions and provide you with some helpful tips on how to write your personal statement for physio school applications.

Here we go.

Tip #1 – Start early

We cannot stress this one enough. Start getting yourself “in the know” early, so that you can plan accordingly. Before putting pen to paper, you should first be able to answer the following questions:

• Which PT programs require a personal statement?
• What types of questions do various schools ask on their personal statement?
• How long can my answers be (i.e., word/character count)?

Once you gather all of this information, you can start chipping away on mapping out the content you’d like to include within your personal statement.

Tip #2 – Genuinely ask yourself: “Why do I want to be a physiotherapist? “

It’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ll be asked, “why do you want to be a physiotherapist?” on a personal statement. Admissions committees are very interested in knowing your intent for choosing physiotherapy as a career. Why? Because they want to ensure that they’re admitting individuals who have made an informed career decision and are genuinely passionate about becoming a physiotherapist.

For that reason, we highly recommend sitting down with yourself to think hard about why you want to be a physiotherapist. And believe us, we understand that it’s not always a simple question to answer, as there may be many reasons why you want to pursue PT. We suggest that you write all of these reasons down in front of you. It will help give you clarity, and most importantly, it will help guide your entire personal statement. When you have a strong “why” from the beginning, writing your statement will come a lot easier. On the contrary, if your foundation isn’t solid, your personal statement may fall flat.

So, please! Ask yourself: “Why do I want to be a physiotherapist?”

Tip #3 – Write out a list of your experiences

Your personal statement is essentially your way of “selling yourself” to the admissions committees. Apart from providing them with a compelling reason as to why you want to be a PT, speaking about your work and volunteer experience can really help you impress those who make admissions decisions.

In order to make writing about your experiences a seamless process, we recommend first writing out a list of your work and volunteer experiences (PT- and non-PT-related experiences). Ensure to include what your role was during each experience, whether it was work or volunteer, the location, how long you were at each location, and the types of people you worked with. This will essentially function as your rough draft.

Once you have all of that information laid out in front of you, turn your rough draft into sentences to be used in your personal statement. Be sure to mention how these experiences will help you in becoming a good physiotherapist one day.

Tip #4 – Do your research on the physiotherapy profession

As mentioned earlier, PT school admissions committees aim to admit those who have made an informed career decision. That being said, it will bode well for you to convey that you are knowledgeable about the physiotherapy profession throughout your personal statement.

Having exposure in physiotherapy settings prior to applications will certainly help you out with that, but it would be in your best interest to also do your research on the profession. The PT profession is incredibly diverse; physiotherapists work in a variety of settings with a wide-range of patient populations. Given that, it’s important to become familiar with the profession at large in order to show the admissions committees that you understand what PT has to offer.

Tip #5 – Rigorously edit and revise your personal statement

This one’s a no-brainer. Once you think you have a finished product, you must rigorously edit and revise your personal statement. Do your very best to catch any spelling or grammatical errors, run-on sentences, redundancies, and any other issues you pick up on that may be problematic for your readers. The good thing about this is that you don’t have to do this alone! Reach out to any friends, family members, and/or mentors that you trust to proofread your essay as well. A second or third set of eyes may pick up on things that you missed, so it’s great to have some people in your corner to help with editing and revising.

We realize that this may be one of those tips that one can simply just gloss over, but in all seriousness, we cannot emphasize the importance of this one enough. Remember that the admissions committees don’t just judge what you say in your personal statement, but also how you say it. The applicants who can do both of those things very well are usually the ones that come out on top.

Writing a great personal statement for your physio school applications can be a challenging task. However, if you follow the tips that you read about in this blog post, you’ll eventually be able to muster up a personal statement that you can be proud of in no time.

We hope you found these tips helpful. Thank you for reading.

If you’re looking for extra help and guidance on writing your personal statement, check out our PT Application Booster course today! We have an entire module dedicated to helping you write a personal statement that will give you the competitive edge for physio school applications. What are you waiting for? Enrol today!

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Discover personal statement examples written by students accepted onto physiotherapy and related courses. Read through the examples to help shape your own personal statement.

Physiotherapy Personal Statements

Submitted by George

Physiotherapy Personal Statement

Curiosity in understanding both science and how best to work with peo...

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Physiotherapy is vital for the re-establishment of a patient's qualit...

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Physiotherapy BSc Hons Personal Statement

Being able to understand the anatomical and physiological foundations...

Physiotherapy Personal Statement Advice

Your Physiotherapy personal statement is the most essential part of your university application and is usually the aspect that universities focus on to decide whether or not you should be allowed to study at their university. Your Physiotherapy personal statement should be treated as a chance to show off how passionate you are about the subject and just what you would be such an asset to their university society. Before you start writing your Physiotherapy personal statement, we recommend that you take a look at some previous Physiotherapy personal statement examples for inspiration. These Physiotherapy personal statement examples will give you the chance to see what shape and tone you need as well as the sort of things that universities are looking for overall. Your Physiotherapy personal statement doesn't need to be flashy or overly long, but it should convey your passion for the subject and any relevant information that is linked to that passion. Knowing what to include in your Physiotherapy personal statement can be a struggle for some students who often end up over or under sharing in their statement in order to meet the word count. You don’t need to worry too much about what to include in your Physiotherapy personal statement, you should focus on your passion for the subject and simply allow your writing to move from there. The three main topics that you should include in your Physiotherapy personal statement are: Work experience Extracurricular activities Your passion for the subject If you are applying for this course as part of a postgraduate course, then we recommend speaking about your undergraduate degree as well.

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Mailing Address: University of Houston ATTN: Health Professions Advising Center University Classroom & Business Building Room 215 4242 Martin Luther King Boulevard Houston, TX 77204 Google Maps

Although most applicants focus on GPA and test-scores, the personal statement is a very important component of your application and should be carefully composed. This is your opportunity to highlight things about yourself that may not be mentioned in other sections of your application and to distinguish yourself from other applicants.

You should have several different people objectively read your personal statement and provide constructive feedback. In addition to the Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC) , your letter writers are often a great option. There are also resources on campus that can assist you, such as the UH Writing Center , University Career Services , and your major advisor. Consider the feedback you receive carefully, but be sure that the personal statement is still written in your voice!

Below we have outlined some advice and general guidelines to consider while writing your personal statement. Keep in mind that these recommendations are not restricted to medical/dental applications, but can be applied while writing essays for any healthcare professional program.

• See also UH University Career Services Personal Statement Tips
• Sign up for the UH Writing Center Personal Statement Workshops

Types of Prompts

Before beginning your personal statement, it is important you carefully review the specific question (or prompt) that is being asked and the character-limit, as there can be distinct differences between the application services.

TMDSAS ( 5000 characters ):

• Explain your motivation to seek a career in medicine. You are asked to include the value of your experiences that prepare you to be a physician.
• Explain your motivation to seek a career in dentistry. You are asked to discuss your philosophy of the dental profession and indicate your goals relevant to the profession.
• Personal Characteristics Essay - Learning from others is enhanced in educational settings that include individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Please describe your personal characteristics (background, talents, skills, etc.) or experiences that would add to the educational experience of others. The personal characteristics essay is required to all applicants and limited to 2500 characters, including spaces.
• Optional Essay – The optional essay is an opportunity to provide the admissions committee(s) with a broader picture of who you are as an applicant. The essay is optional, however, you are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity. Consider briefly discussing any unique circumstances or life experiences that are relevant to your application which have not previously been presented. Optional Essay is limited to 2500 characters, including spaces.

AMCAS ( 5300 characters ):

• Why have you selected the field of medicine?
• What motivates you to learn more about medicine?
• What do you want medical schools to know about you that has not been disclosed in other sections of the application?

AACOMAS ( 5300 characters ):

• What motivates you to learn more about osteopathic medicine?

AADSAS ( 4500 characters ):

• Explain a defining moment that helped steer you toward a career in dentistry. Consider using that moment as the focal point of your essay.
• Be colorful, positive, imaginative and personal when discussing why you are a good candidate for dental school. Ask yourself—in a pile of 100 applications, would I enjoy reading my statement? Be sure to convey your passion for dentistry in your statement.
• Be yourself.  Don’t use jargon, clichés or big phrases that you would not use in daily conversation. Remember, dental schools want to know about the real you.
• Be original and thoughtful: Discuss how you would contribute to the profession and patient care, all of which will help you stand out from other applicants.

AACPMAS (4500 characters):

• State below why you are interested in becoming a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine. Provide information about your development for a career in Podiatric Medicine

CASPA (5000 characters):

• In the space provided write a brief statement expressing your motivation or desire to become a physician assistant.

OptomCAS (4500 characters) :

Essays can be customized for each individual Optometry program.  Most Optometry schools include this as their main essay question:

• Please describe what inspires your decision for becoming an optometrist, including your preparation for training in this profession, your aptitude and motivation, the basis for your interest in optometry, and your future career.

OTCAS (no character limit):

• Your Personal Statement should address why you selected OT as a career and how an Occupational Therapy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals. Describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you achieve your goals.

PTCAS (4500 characters):

• Prompt: Every person has a story that has led them to a career. Since there are a variety of health professions that "help" others, please go beyond your initial interaction or experiences with physical therapy and share the deeper story that has confirmed your decision to specifically pursue physical therapy as your career.

PharmCAS (4500 characters):

• Your Personal Essay should address why you selected pharmacy as a career. How the Doctor of Pharmacy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals. You should describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you achieve your goals.

VMCAS (1000 characters):

• There are many career choices within the veterinary What are your future career goals and why?
• In what ways do veterinarians contribute to society and what do you hope to contribute?
• Consider the breadth of society which veterinarians What attributes do you believe are essential to be successful within the veterinary profession? Of these attributes, which do you possess and how have you demonstrated these in the past?

When should I start writing?

You should begin working on your personal statement early in the spring semester prior to your intended application year and submitting your application materials to HPAC (if applicable).  Remember that the people who are helping you with your statement will need time to review it and you will need time to work through multiple drafts before submission.  In addition, some of your letter writers may want to see a copy of your personal statement before they write your letter, so you should strive to have a competent draft by mid-March.

What should be included?

It is important to treat the personal statement as an answer to a question (i.e., the prompt), rather than the opportunity to flex your creative writing muscles. Indeed, most applicants are STEM majors without much experience in creative writing; therefore, it is recommended that you avoid using the essay to practice your creative writing skills and stick to simply addressing the prompt in a direct, concise way. Some questions you may want to consider while planning your essay are:

• Why have you selected the field of medicine, dentistry, or other health profession?
• What motivates you to learn more about medicine, dentistry, or other health profession?
• How have you demonstrated your interest and commitment to your decision?
• What experiences have allowed you to develop the skills necessary to be successful in this program and to become an effective physician, dentist, PA, etc.?
• Did you have any exposure to role models who influenced your decision? Which of their attributes inspired you?
• Are your perceptions of this profession realistic?
• What are your professional goals?
• Is there anything you wish for your chosen health professional schools to know about you that has not been disclosed in other sections of the application?

Depending on the nature of the prompt, you may also wish to include information such as:

• Unique hardships, challenges, or obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits.
• Commentary on significant fluctuations in your academic record that are not explained elsewhere in your application.

What should NOT be included?

• Avoid clichés and over-using/mis-using terms : How many times do you think admissions committees have read the phrase, “I want to become a physician because I like science and I want to help people”? Similarly, words like empathy and passion are, while applicable, can become empty in meaning when overused or misused. Consider exemplifying these terms, rather than simply stating them.
• Avoid unnecessary drama: While you may feel compelled to "hook" the reader with a dramatic opening to your statement, doing so may detract from the overall purpose (i.e., describing your decision to pursue medicine/dentistry) and may induce many an eye-roll by committee members.
• Avoid being vague : "[Insert experience] was challenging and rewarding." What does that mean? Be specific about what was impactful and how it affected you.
• Avoid brash decision-making :  Your decision to become a doctor/dentist should be the result of a series of thoughtful, conscious, and reflective decisions. NOT an instantaneous realization or epiphany. Similarly, you have not “always known” that you want to be a physician/dentist. No one is "born to be a doctor." Nothing is innate, you have to work for it.
• Avoid excuses :  In general, there are better uses for your personal statement than explaining away and justifying poor grades, incidents of misconduct, etc. Indeed, TMDSAS offers additional essays and opportunities to discuss these issues. However, if you choose to address these subjects, be sure to focus on what you have learned from those incidents and how your experiences have made you a stronger person.  Always accept responsibility and avoid blaming anyone else for your decisions or mistakes.
• Avoid restating your resume or activities section :  Choose ONE or TWO significant and distinguishing experiences to elaborate upon when outline the reasons behind your decision to pursue a career in healthcare. There is no need to narrate completely your 4+ years of college or carefully detail your activities from year to year; indeed, there are other sections in the application where you can detail your experiences and what you learned from each.
• Avoid grandiosity :  Claiming that you plan to cure cancer (or HIV, or healthcare disparities, or anything else) shows a grave lack of understanding of whatever problem you are planning to solve. Similarly, avoid “I know what it is like to be a physician/dentist from [shadowing/clinical volunteer experience].”  No, you do not.  That is precisely why you are hoping to go to medical/dental school.
• Avoid inflammatory or controversial topics :  You do not know the values, beliefs, and background of the committee member reading your essay.  For these reasons, you are advised to avoid making any strong statements regarding politics, religion, and other polarizing topics.  Be extremely cautious to avoid expressing any views that could be construed as derogatory to any group.  Additionally, your beliefs are not the only “correct” beliefs. 
• Do not lie :  Honesty and ethical behavior are the hallmarks of being a healthcare professional. Do not include details anywhere in your application or essay that you are not prepared to talk about or that are simply untrue.

Additional Recommendations

• Use simple formatting : Avoid the use of bullet-points, italics, and symbols.
• Read your statement aloud : As you draft your statement, reading what you have written aloud can help you determine whether your writing "flows" well and is an easy read for a reviewer.

Health Sciences - UC Santa Barbara

Personal Statements

The Personal Statement, or application essay in the case of Physical Therapy and the PTCAS application, is an opportunity to begin to show admissions committees who you are on a more personal level.  This essay, the length of which will vary depending on the program you are applying to, is your opportunity to share your  Why .  Essentially, why do you want to pursue a particular health profession. The personal statement also provides applicants with the opportunity to share information and characteristics of themselves that can not be read or gleaned elsewhere in the application.  We encourage pre-health students to begin thinking about and drafting responses to this question as early as possible--even freshman/first year. 

New Personal Statement/Application Essay Writing Resource!

We are very excited to share with you all a set of video resources created by UCSB's very own Janet Mizrahi!   Ms. Mizrahi has been part of the Writing Department at UCSB for over 20 years and has taught the Writing 109HP Writing for the Health Professions course over 50 times!  In this video series, "How to Write your Personal Statement," you will learn how to compose a personal statement to use as part of your health professions school application.  In addition to the videos, Ms. Mizrahi has also shared several worksheets to assist students throughout the process of writing their personal statements. 

Video 1 ( Click Here )

Video 2 ( Click Here )

Video 3 ( Click Here )

Video 4 ( Click Here )

Video 5 ( Click Here )

Video 6 ( Click Here )

Additional information to consider as you begin writing your personal statement/application essay.

The key to composing a compelling personal statement is to create a theme in which to frame your story and to avoid a few common mistakes. 

• Use a formal essay structure (Introductory paragraphs, body paragraphs, conclusion).
• Show, don’t tell!  (Use specific verbs, strong adjectives, etc. to show the reader how and why you chose to pursue a career in healthcare and developed as a pre-health student.)
• Explain hardships or adversity you have overcome
• Use cliches
• Recite your resume
• Have too broad a focus
• Get off topic
• Let the focus deviate from you to other people
• Complain or place blame on others

Remember, your pre-health advisors are here to help you, and we are happy to review your personal statement as we are able.  If you have never met with one of us, we will need you to provide, at minimum, an up-to-date resume to provide us with some context for your personal statement.  Please plan on scheduling an appointment to meet with one of us for help brainstorming ideas for your personal statement and/or to have one of us read and look over your drafts.  We also encourage students to consider taking the Writing 109HP course, Writing for Health Professionals.

• Last updated
• Save as PDF

The following essay question is required for the PTCAS application: Every person has a background, an identity, interests, or talents which they feel their application would be incomplete without having mentioned. Describe the traits or experiences that make you unique and explain how they will help you be a successful physical therapist.

The essay has a 4,500 character limit.

Requirements

• Keep your topic general : Keep the statement general as this essay is sent to all the programs you apply to. If you plan to only apply to one program, we still strongly recommend keeping your statement general in case you later apply to additional programs. Once you submit your application, the essay cannot be edited or changed.
• Do not exceed the maximum length : You can see both the word and character count below the field in the application. The right-hand number shows the maximum number of characters that you can use in your essay. As you type, you can see how many characters are still available and the associated word count. Characters include spaces, carriage returns, and punctuation. You cannot save your essay if it exceeds the 4,500 character limit.
• Use your own words : Plagiarizing any part of your essay is a violation of the code of conduct and may subject you to sanctions.
• Use simple formatting : Formatting such as tabs, italics, multiple spaces, etc., will not be saved. To delineate paragraphs, type a double return between each paragraph.

Proofreading

Be sure to read over your essay several times to catch any spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc., errors before submitting. Once you submit your application, you cannot edit your essay. If you find an error after submission that you believe could have major effects on your application, we recommend sending a corrected copy directly to the programs you applied to.

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Physical Therapy Personal Statements Samples For Students

5 samples of this type

Do you feel the need to check out some previously written Personal Statements on Physical Therapy before you get down to writing an own piece? In this free database of Physical Therapy Personal Statement examples, you are granted a fascinating opportunity to explore meaningful topics, content structuring techniques, text flow, formatting styles, and other academically acclaimed writing practices. Using them while crafting your own Physical Therapy Personal Statement will definitely allow you to finalize the piece faster.

Presenting the finest samples isn't the only way our free essays service can aid students in their writing ventures – our authors can also create from point zero a fully customized Personal Statement on Physical Therapy that would make a solid basis for your own academic work.

Personal Statement On Physical Therapist

Providing this personal statement for admission into an academic institution with the caliber of challenges, opportunities, and focus offered by your organization constitutes a critical benchmark in my career goal of becoming a professional physical therapist. Both a passion for academic excellence combined with an extensive background in science underpins the scholastic and pragmatic foundation of what my admission to your institution offers to the expectations of the quality of learner you provide admission.

Personal Statement On Physical Therapy-Central Application

Example of physical therapy personal statement.

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Example Of Personal Statement On Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is a challenging and demanding career. Working in conjunction with other health care professionals, the role of the physical therapist is indispensible to improving the quality of life of a patient who is otherwise incapacitated in some respect. The corpus of knowledge that must be attained is quite large and covers the entire range of human physiology, and consequently further specialization exists to learn an heal more specific ailments that afflict the patients.

Physical Therapy: The Chosen Career Personal Statement Examples

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Physiotherapy Personal Statement Examples

What is a physiotherapy personal statement?

Your physiotherapy personal statement is a piece of creative writing you need to put together for your UCAS form.

It enables university admissions tutors to assess who you are and whether they want you on their course and at their university.

This means your personal statement has to include information about your strengths, achievements and ambitions, whether you’re applying for an undergraduate or postgraduate course. .

Our tips below will help you present yourself in the best possible light.

How do I write a physiotherapy personal statement?

We recommend you start by looking at our example physiotherapy statements above to give yourself an idea of what a successful one looks like. It will also show you how you might structure it and what you could talk about.

We then suggest you sit down and brainstorm for ideas on what you could include. These should cover:

• Academic achievements
• Practical work and coursework you have enjoyed
• Personal traits
• Life experience and motivations for wanting to study your subject
• Work experience (including any voluntary or charity work)
• Extracurricular activities
• Career goals
• Gap year plans (if you have any)

Once you have an initial draft (our personal statement template can help with this), pass your physiotherapy personal statement on to freinds, family and teachers for their feedback. Make sure you incorporate their comments and suggestions (if you feel it improves the statement), and then ask them to look at it again.

It's likely you will need to go through at least three or four rounds of this before you have a polished statement that you can submit on your UCAS form.

What should I include in my physiotherapy personal statement?

• Students often begin with why they want to study physiotherapy, usually a few sentences or so about a life event or family member that inpsired them (or whatever it was that sparked your interest in the subject).
• Let your enthusiasm shine through by talking about your work experience, wider reading, hobbies, or anything else relevant to physiotherapy that enforces your passion for the subject.
• Talk about any specific physiotherapy skills you have learned and what aspects of the subject you enjoy most. Admissions tutors want to see that you have researched the course and know what's involved.
• To become a good physiotherapist, you'll need excellent interpersonal, teamwork and social skills, as well as lots of patience! Try to demonstrate these skills throughout your personal statement using the notes you made at the start.

For more help and advice on what to write in your physiotherapy personal statement, please see:

• Personal Statement Editing Services
• Personal Statement Tips From A Teacher
• Analysis Of A Personal Statement
• The 15th January UCAS Deadline: 4 Ways To Avoid Missing It
• Personal Statement FAQs
• Personal Statement Timeline
• 10 Top Personal Statement Writing Tips
• What To Do If You Miss The 15th January UCAS Deadline.

Physical therapist personal statement

• Reading time: 3 minutes
• Price: Free download
• Published: 23rd October 2021
• Word count: 774 words
• File format: Text

The first stage in my decision to pursue physical therapy goes back to my junior year in high school. I enrolled in an honors physiology course that was avoided my most of my peers. While I, too, was skeptical about taking the course out of fear that it might affect my GPA, my mother, who is an occupational therapist, assured that it will be a worthwhile investment. As always, she was right, and it was then, I developed a thirst for knowledge about the human body. Soon after the class, I grew an immense passion for studying the body’s structure and functions. I endeavored to learn the pieces of the puzzle and the theoretical aspect of movement, however, my passion pushed me to dive deeper. I wanted to learn how a person continues to function in the face of impairments and in what ways physical therapy can be employed to improve mobility. For these reasons, I took the initiative to better understand the profession by immersing myself into hospitals and clinics.

The diverse clinical experiences I gained while working with physical therapists allowed me to understand the physical therapy profession extensively. Witnessing their dedication to patient care by demonstrating empathy, altruism, accountability, and professional duty solidified my decision to become a physical therapist. I gained a new level of passion for the human experience, which propelled me toward constant improvement. Hence, I am determined to become a physical therapist who can use my passion to serve others and help each individual overcome his or her losses through the lens of human movement.

In order to become a physical therapist, I understand that it will require a tremendous amount of dedication throughout a Doctor of Physical Therapy program. In order to prepare myself for a rigorous DPT education, I have actively engaged in all of my challenging pre-requisite and liberal arts courses that my undergraduate institution offered. Additionally, I have strongly committed myself toward this career path by balancing an intense academic schedule with two jobs and a rich repertoire of extra-curricular activities that range from community service to getting involved with the athletic department. Despite the difficulties I encountered of applying myself to these commitments throughout each semester, I remained resilient by managing my time wisely.

The skills and knowledge I gained through my organizations have allowed me to recognize my strengths and weaknesses. As I mentioned earlier, time management was a key strength that allowed me to remain organized and complete assignments in advance for my academic and organizational commitments. In addition, my ability to remain empathetic in any difficult situation has allowed me to collaborate with people from different cultures. Although I utilize my strengths most of the time, I do have areas in which I need to improve on. When an outcome is not what I expect, I tend to get flustered, assuming I will not be able to accomplish my tasks. Despite these challenging situations, I learned through experience how to gradually overcome unexpected situations and become adaptive in various environments.

Overcoming weakness is difficult, but it was possible for me through my organizations that provided me with the opportunities to improve. In order to improve my adaptability, I took on multiple leadership positions that challenged me to face many unexpected situations and pushed me to make effective decisions. As the senior physical therapy aide at Ventura Orthopedics, I participated in quarterly staff meetings and was in charge of new aide training and education. In addition, I have exhibited leadership within the classroom by stimulating intelligent discussions amongst my peers during group research projects.

Furthermore, I hope to enroll in your DPT program because of the opportunities and environment that will optimize my learning to become an effective physical therapist. The opportunities your facility provides for physical therapy students to interact with other healthcare students is unlike any other and will prepare me as a professional in a variety of settings. Additionally, the easily accessible faculty members appeal to me because I will be able to learn about their experiences beyond the class setting. Most importantly, the 99% pass rate for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) shows the successful outcome of a great curriculum that will enable me to serve as a physical therapist as soon as I graduate.

As someone who is passionate about learning and the human experience, I hope to continue to pursue my dream of becoming a physical therapist at your institution and make a lasting impact on those around me. It would be a privilege to join a cohort of scholars that can carry on the great reputation you have created at your institution.

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Writing the Perfect Medical School Personal Statement (With Examples!)

Admission to medical school is a complicated process, and there are multiple steps along the way that can make or break the process. The personal statement is one of these. This essay gives you a chance to shine as a candidate, showing the admissions team why they should take a chance on you as a candidate for their program. Since over half of all medical school hopefuls do not get accepted , you want to make sure this essay really stands out.

The personal statement essay is the primary factor that can help a pre-med student stand out from other applicants. When all other factors are equal, and sometimes even when they are not, a quality personal statement is the deciding factor. Here’s a closer look at how you can write a medical school personal statement that will grab attention and increase your likelihood of success.

What Topic Should a Compelling Med School Personal Statement Cover?

The topic of your personal statement is personal to you. This is where many students get hung up, as they focus more on the topic than the content. Here are some things that admissions teams are looking for:

• Explanation of an experience
• Personal qualities that translate well into medicine

As you consider your topic, consider focusing on an experience that highlights these qualities rather than getting stuck on any one topic.

How to Start Writing a Personal Statement for Medical School

Considering those topics above, you should realize that the statement is more about your character qualities than it is about the setting of your statement or the topic. So, to start writing, list the character qualities you have that translate well into your chosen career field. Here are some ideas:

• Being teachable
• Persistence
• Interpersonal skills
• Being a good listener

After you’ve made this list, hone in on a topic or experience that highlights them. While it might be helpful to tie your essay into a medical setting, you don’t have to. In fact, it may grab attention if you start with a different experience and then weave in your passion for medicine later.

Write a Story, Not an Essay

When you study effective medical school personal statement examples, you will see a trend. Rather than simply writing an essay about what makes them a good candidate, these applicants write a story. Using storytelling hooks the reader, makes them take a second look, and moves your essay from feeling dull and routine to being effective.

Here is an opening paragraph that could work quite well in a medical school personal statement:

• Dr. Jamison’s eyes looked heavy as he surveyed the chart. Behind the door was a patient with more red flags on her chart than I could count. I knew this would be a heavy visit and resolved myself to see the patient’s face fall at the bad news. But to my surprise, when we walked in, the doctor had a bright smile on his face and started asking questions about her family, showing genuine interest in how her kids were doing, what her son was studying at university, and how old her brand-new grandchild was. “My shadowing experience is going to be far different than I imagined,” I thought as I watched him.

In this opening paragraph, the writer sets the stage. They explain where they are and even give insight into their teachable nature and resilience. It hooks the reader, too, by showcasing that they’ll be telling a story, not just listing their accomplishments.

Start with a Surprising Hook

Don’t start your essay simply stating why you want to go to medical school. Remember, admissions teams read hundreds of essays each week, so you need to make them stop and take a closer look at yours. You need a hook. Be creative and expressive in the first statement so the reader knows they are reading an unexpected submission. Here are some examples:

• The sun beat down on us as we grabbed a hammer and set to work, and the heat was almost too much for someone raised in northern Wisconsin.
• I always pictured myself as a teacher, but that all changed when I got the phone call that my grandmother had fallen and broken her hip.
• It was just supposed to be a camping trip; I didn’t expect that weekend in Yellowstone to change the trajectory of the life I’d already perfectly planned out.

None of these actually says anything about medical school, but they all work and make the reader want to keep reading.

Now, when you sit down to write, don’t start with your hook. You can get hung up here, which can keep you from writing a compelling essay. Write the hook after the rest of the essay so you can hone it in and make it specific and effective.

Show, Don’t Tell

Your medical school personal statement should eventually move the reader from an engaging story to knowing why you want to pursue medicine, but don’t just tell them. Show them. Demonstrate your qualities in every part of your essay rather than simply stating them. Give examples that show the reader your compassion, grit, and resilience. Here is an example:

• As Dr. Jamison skillfully guided the conversation to the patient’s many health concerns, my eyes welled with tears. Seeing the strong emotion on the patient’s face, I knew it would have been so much worse had he started with the information about her health rather than some personal conversation. “It’s about more than just diagnosing her,” I realized with a start. As we continued throughout the day, my heartstrings were pulled again and again with compassion as I observed how Dr. Jamison clearly viewed his patients as people first and patients second.

Medical School Personal Statement Examples: 

Discover what makes a standout medical school application with the following real-life examples. These samples provide a window into the storytelling and personal reflection that can turn a good application into a great one.

• Real Essays From Stanford Medical Students
• Personal Statements From The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
• 10 Successful Medical School Essays From Harvard Medical School
• Sample Personal Statements From The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine 

Avoid Common Mistakes

Creating a personal essay with a good hook that shows your character qualities and ties them back to medicine is great, but it will fail if you make errors in the essay. Some common mistakes to avoid include:

• Asking to be interviewed
• Ranting about controversial or polarizing topics
• Submitting an essay with grammar and spelling errors
• Having too many people who aren’t trained to read and review your essay
• Lying or representing something you aren’t in your essay
• Being inauthentic

These mistakes will prevent your essay from standing out, even if all other aspects are excellent.

Get the Right Help

Writing a med school personal statement is not easy, especially if you’re trying to get into a top-tier school. Getting professional help on your medical school journey could be a game-changer. At ACT, our Pre-Med Student Advisors are dedicated to guiding you step-by-step through the application process, significantly boosting your chances of gaining admission. Receive tailored mentorship and advice from experienced Physician Advisors who can assist with your personal statement and other critical aspects of your application. 

Enhance your medical school application with our Pre-Med Certificates , designed to provide you with valuable clinical hours and open doors to entry-level healthcare positions. Explore the full range of online medical programs at Advanced eClinical Training today, or enroll now to embark on a fulfilling medical career.

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