“The Best Personal Statement of the Year”

My personal statement for child psychiatry fellowship…

The title of this piece was feedback on the personal statement that follows. It’s worth noting: I didn’t match at that program. But residents frequently ask me about the dreaded personal statement, and this is my second embarrassing installment. Here is what I wrote, way back when…in 2014. I do not love the writing in retrospect, but understand why I wrote it the way I did:

“Treatment delayed is treatment denied,” So said Rep. Tim Murphy from the floor of the House of Representatives, in a speech supporting his Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act. In that rare moment, the political process spoke directly to me and to why I am committed to training in child and adolescent psychiatry.

Comment: The someone else’s quote opener. Don’t do this. Please. It is a bad hook, and I provide your readers have read it a thousand times before.