Last updated on January 9th, 2026 at 06:26 am
By: Aayushi
MD Program Essays
The goal isn’t to list achievements, but to demonstrate growth and self-awareness. An example format of an essay is listed below.
- Provide context of your experience, your role, key tasks and contributions. 1-2 sentences
- Provide 2-3 lessons learned focusing on competencies or skills gained that relate to the essay topic (eg; I developed my ability to work well in multidisciplinary teams, I gained advocacy skills and the ability to support marginalized groups etc.) – 1 sentence
- For each lesson provide evidence to back up your claim in the form of specific examples to show how you gained this competency. Provide detail to show your approach and process of skills-building. – 3-4 sentences (bulk of writing)
- Connect each lesson to medicine to show how the competencies you’ve gained give you transferrable skills that you will use in medical school and a career in medicine. – 1 sentence
MD/PhD Program Essays
Some programs may ask for this information combined into 1 essay or separate essays. Examples of points to include in these essays are listed below.
Personal Statement
- Describe your journey to pursuing an MD/PhD and your commitment to being a clinician-scientist. This can include transformative life experiences and personal stories that provide some insight into who you are, your passions, and articulate why you want to bridge these domains in your career.
- Provide lessons and competencies gained that are valuable both in medicine and research. For each lesson provide detailed examples to show how you gained the competency and the process of skills-building.
- Summarize your research interests and describe a possible direction of study in your PhD. This can include the research field or specific topic you’re interested in and your future plans or ideas you would like to pursue. Ensure you emphasize the why behind your interests!
Research Experiences Essay
- Start by summarizing your research journey and what sparked your interest in scientific inquiry.
- Describe key research projects you were involved in. For each project, focus on the competencies gained and how you gained them by providing specific and detailed examples. Go beyond technical research-related skills and ensure you describe other skills that are highly valuable in research such as ability to take initiative, resilience, and time management for example!
- Include any key milestones achieved or outcomes of research projects such as presentations, publications, or awards.
- Can include future direction of research interests and/or future career aspirations as a clinician-scientist.
Conclusion
Impactful essays don’t just state the things you have done, they show the process of learning competencies and connect them to transferrable skills in medicine and/or research.
