How to Write a Family Medicine Residency Personal Statement (March 2025)
- Josh
- Mar 22
- 3 min read
This is an easy-to-follow CRASH COURSE in the basics of how to write a family medicine residency personal statement for your ERAS application.
The best personal statements are clear. They convey to the reader 1) why you love medicine, 2) why you love family medicine specifically, and 3) why you will be an exceptional family medicine resident.
Personal statements are critical to your ERAS application. A great one can help you stand out from your competitors. It could end up being the very reason you're invited for an interview over a similar applicant.
For a more in-depth guide, check out my Complete Guide to Writing a Residency Application Personal Statement.
Also take a look at my ERAS Personal Statement Example - Family Medicine.
Need help with personal statement writing or any other aspect of your ERAS application? Feel free to check out all the services I offer. Reach out to me to request help today!
How to write a family medicine residency personal statement in 3 easy steps:
STEP 1:
Answer the following 2 questions in your introduction: 1) Why medicine? 2) Why family medicine?
Answer these questions by sharing a story about yourself. People always say to show and not tell. Really, what they mean is that you should try to be interesting instead of boring. This is how you do that.
STEP 2:
Use a patient story to showcase yourself utilizing the skills and attributes that will make you a fantastic family medicine resident.
Brainstorm 3 things about yourself that will appeal to family medicine programs. Are you compassionate, proactive, and thorough? Great! Tailor your patient story in a way that shows you being compassionate, proactive, and thorough.
STEP 3:
Do 2 things in your conclusion: 1) Bring your narrative full circle by alluding to the story you shared in your introduction. 2) State what you’re looking for in a residency program.
For a bonus, you can also touch on your future plans beyond residency. This is optional. Saying that you’re not sure is totally fine.
The basic DOs and DO NOTs for writing your family medicine residency personal statement:
DO:
Aim for a personal statement of between 600 and 800 words.
Write in an active voice rather than a passive one.
Vary your sentence structure.
Avoid repeating words whenever you can.
Be confident as well as humble.
Be creative if you want. After all, this is supposed to be a personal statement.
DO NOT:
Overuse fancy words or punctuation.
Capitalize “family medicine” or “doctor” or any other phrases or words that shouldn’t be capitalized. When in doubt, look it up.
Shift the focus from yourself to a doctor who inspired you or an attending you admire. It’s fine to mention them, but this is YOUR personal statement, not theirs.
Say “primary care” instead of “family medicine.” This will make readers think you’re also applying to internal medicine and just recycling your personal statement.
Regurgitate your CV or chronicle your educational/professional timeline. Remember what I said about being interesting instead of boring?
Ask too many people for their feedback. Everyone has different opinions and advice. Satisfying them all is impossible. I recommend having 1-2 carefully-chosen readers.
For further reading, check out my WAY MORE detailed personal statement writing guide as well as the ERAS personal statement examples linked below. There are discussions after each, much of which relates to writing in general. They should help you as you work to perfect your family medicine personal statement!
Want me help? Check out the services I offer. Reach out to me to request help today!
