Hanna Renaldi's Blog: 5 Tips for the AACOMAS Personal Statement

Listening. Businessman holds hand near ear. Attention and sound, communication and gesture, person listen, vector illustration

Now is the time to speak your voice – the adcom is listening!

Looking for the best osteopathic med school admissions advice out there? Ace those AACOMAS apps by reading our osteopathic application 5 tips series – each post, another set of 5 expert tips that will help you get ACCEPTED.

The AACOMAS requires one personal statement that is a maximum of 4,500 characters long. This is different from the length requirement for the AMCAS application, which is 5,300 characters. Below are five tips to help make your AACOMAS personal statement shine.

1. Show, Don’t Tell.

The first axiom of the personal statement is to “show, don’t tell.” Honest, compassionate, caring, dedicated – you want to show all of these qualities. But, listing them isn’t effective. Instead, explain how you’ve shown these qualities using examples that illustrate them.

2. Don’t just repeat the AMCAS statement.

Osteopathic schools want applicants who are interested in their schools and their approach to medicine. Some applicants are tempted to repeat the AMCAS personal statement. Not only are the length requirements different, but the schools also have different points of focus.

3. Highlight your knowledge of osteopathy.

In your personal statement for AACOMAS, you should show that you understand the principles of osteopathy. But, don’t just repeat the methods; provide examples and instances where you reflect the values of osteopathic medicine.

4. Make the personal statement active and positive.

Use examples and anecdotes that reflect your path to medicine in a constructive light and accents your positive qualities. Don’t apologize or make excuses. Instead, show your enthusiasm for medicine.

5. Proofread.

Make sure that you have proofread your essay multiple times and have someone else read it for errors. If your essay is sloppy, you will make a sloppy impression. Not what you want to do.

The AACOMAS personal statement is the one place in the application where you speak in your own voice and give the admissions committee an idea of what you are like. Make sure that you use this space to your best advantage and make your application stand out in a competitive field.

Jessica Pishko graduated with a J.D. from Harvard Law School and received an M.F.A. from Columbia University. She spent two years guiding students through the medical school application process at Columbia’s PostBacc Program and teaches writing at all levels.