How to Write Fellowship Personal Statement | A Handbook for All 2023
Want to know how to write a personal statement for fellowship? This blog is for you.
In this blog, you will get a clear-cut idea about personal statement for fellowship, how to write it, what format to use etc.
Reading this blog carefully from start to end will make you confident enough to attempt a fellowship personal statement.
What is Fellowship?
The term fellowship has got different meanings. In the academic context, it is usually referred to academic research fellowship which renders you a chance to carry out research at a university.
What Benefits Are You Entitled to From a Fellowship?
Taking part in the fellowship program renders you a number of benefits. They are:
- Fellowships are funded, so it helps you meet your tuition fee, materials and other expenses.
- Fellowships come in handy for dealing with certain learning challenges which you might have faced at university level.
- Fellowships are great way to make friends for future, particularly for the next phase of your academic formation.
- Fellowships help students become more conscious about time management and practice that skill.
What is a Fellowship Personal Statement?
Fellowship personal statement is a document that you are asked to submit at the time of applying for a fellowship program. It should convey to the selectors that you are a perfect fit to their program and deserves to be admitted.
Why You Need a Fellowship Personal Statement?
As you head to apply for a fellowship, one important document that you should have ready is a fellowship personal statement. This acts like prism through which the selectors would know you better regarding the following aspects.
It describes your personal maturity
Your personal statement for fellowship shows how matured you are to take a critical career decision and to be rewarded with a fellowship.
It shows your professional seriousness
Your personal statement explains about your professional aspiration and how you have planned to accomplish the fellowship project.
It explains your fitness to the program
Your personal statement would help the selectors determine why and how you fit into their program and whether you meet their criteria.
It demonstrates your uniqueness
Institutes prefer to select candidates who appear to be unique. It is your personal statement that help you show how unique you are.
Read more here:
| Anesthesiology | Emergency Medicine | Neurology | Radiology |
| Dental School | Family Medicine | Internal Medicine | Urology |
| Dermatology | General Surgery | Psychiatry | Pediatrics |
| Ophthalmology | Medical School | Nursing Job | Pathology |
Before You Start Your Personal Statement for Fellowship, Keep these in Mind….
An average personal statement, even if it contains no mistakes, would not help you win the fellowship. You need to shine above all. For this, it is important to come up with a personal statement that is well planned and well-constructed with a clear indication about the target program.
How to Plan Before Writing a Fellowship Personal Statement?
It is important to come up with a solid plan before you start to write your fellowship personal statement. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to kick start your planning.
Why should I apply for this fellowship?
What should be my target program?
How do I format my fellowship personal statement?
Why Should I Apply for This Fellowship?
List out your reasons for needing this fellowship. Is it going to strengthen your career? Is it going to expand your expertise?
What Should Be My Target Program?
You must have a clear understanding about your target program and what specific requirements you are required to fulfill for that.
How Do I Format My Fellowship Personal Statement?
Once you have the above insights, it’s time to set up your fellowship personal statement.
- Choose an academically accepted font – Times New Roman, Ariel etc.
- Keep the font size to 12 points. Keep the font and font size consistent.
- Leave 1” margin for the page.
- Maintain single-line space between the lines.
- Leave one line gap between paragraphs if you are not indenting the first line.
- Keep your personal statement not more than one page.
- Once finished, save your personal statement by naming it “your name personal statement.”
Include These 4 Elements in Your Personal Statement for Fellowship
You have seen how to structure a personal statement for fellowship. Well, that’s just a framework for your document. Now you have another important thing to look into, what to write in your personal statement or the content.
A personal story
Begin your personal statement with a personal story that the selectors are able to identify you with. Blend it very well with the rest of the body.
Experiences
Be careful to include only the most relevant experiences that helped you discern your interest in the particular fellowship project. Elaborate how that shaped you or helped you grow.
Area of research
Talk about your particular area of research interest that you are going to focus during your fellowship. Say how you utilize the program to gain deeper level knowledge.
Future plans
Your personal statement should have a paragraph dedicated to talk about your future plans. It should explain how you will use the fellowship to explore new horizons in your career.
Now That You Are Ready to Take Off, Here Is How to Write a Fellowship Personal Statement
Only through a strategic and systematic approach can you come up with a winning fellowship personal statement. Here is how you can approach it.
Prepare an outline
To begin with, prepare an outline for your personal statement. It should have a well-structured introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion.
Gather information
It is important to have all the information you want to include in the document ready at hand. This will save you from unexpected distractions during your writing.
Organize the details
Organize the details you have collected logically into paragraphs. This is how you can create a first draft of your fellowship personal statement.
Improvise the first draft
Go through your first draft carefully and see if the sentences look connected and paragraphs make sense. Improve the sentences by rewriting them if any sound too awkward.
Proofread the writeup
Proofreading and editing are the most crucial steps in personal statement writing. Be cautious of spelling and grammatical errors and eliminate them.
Stuck on Writing the Opening Sentence? Here Are Some Useful Hints
Not knowing how to start a personal statement fellowship is a cause of worry for many students. A captivating opening sentence will help you create a good first impression. Here are some examples for you to consider.
Eg 1: Infectious diseases are the biggest cause of death and morbidity throughout the world despite advancements in medicine.
Here, the applicant has written a background statement that clearly shows that he is undertaking a fellowship program in infection and disease control.
Eg 2: The most valuable time of my day is the evening when I come face to face with dozens of refugees in a camp set up in the suburb of Rome. I work as a translator there, helping the refugees there who hail from war-torn places like Syria and Yemen.
This is the opening sentence of a graduate fellowship applicant to the University of Milan. The opening sentences reflect on the applicant’s engagements with refugees.
Read more here on personal statements:
Example for Fellowship Personal Statement
Whether you want to write a personal statement for fellowship on your own or have a professional write it, you should have a fair idea of it.
Personal Statement for Fellowship in Oncology
Being a fatal disease, I always had an apprehension to learn about oncology. Right from my childhood, I had dire fear regarding cancer. During my medical studies, I learnt about oncology very carefully and acutely. In my medical career, I have come across several cancer patients who had lost hope in their life and crumpled. My decision to pursue a fellowship in Oncology medicine grew out of my experience as a Gynecologist and Obstetrics Specialist. I have seen that women are hesitant to diagnose anything new happening in their body. With breast cancer and uterine cancer increasing day by day, there is a great need to address specifically on this branch and improve female health. As I had observed that there is a dire need for specialists in this niche as the area of Gynecologic Oncology is still in its nascent stage in my country. My current tenure as a Consultant Gynecologist and Obstetrics Specialist at xxxxxxx has ignited my passion to advance in this field in my country and improve the treatment of Gynecologic Oncology.
As a Consultant Gynecologist and Obstetrics Specialist, I daily come across several female health problems, cancer being the most common. With the increased rise of Cervical, Vaginal and Uterine cancer, there is a need to specialize in this branch of study. I am sure this fellowship would help me to conduct an exclusive research in this field of medicine and develop some strategies to prevent and treat this disease. I have come across several patients, who consulted me due to abnormal cyst or unnatural pain. I am sure with this specialization I would be able to diagnose cancer in its nascent stage and provide necessary treatment without delaying it to the last stage.
As cancer has become very common in every society, people actually take it in various aspects. I still remember a lady who came to me due to some abnormalities in her chest. When diagnosed, she was in the last stage of her breast cancer. She was on her initial stage of her retirement life and passed away keeping so many wishes unfulfilled. This made me have a deep thought over the issue and I conducted several camps and seminars generating awareness on female health problems. I am sure this additional education would help me to perform well in my duties and generate awareness among women about their bodies.
Through the fellowship in Fetal Medicine program at University X, I can develop an understanding of the emerging field of Gynecologic medicine and Oncology. I am sure this program will imbue the knowledge of diagnosing, providing chemotherapy and the necessary medication prevalent in the world today. With the research methodologies, I can try my hands on medication development as well. Furthermore, I will get a chance to observe and assist in advanced invasive medicine procedures such as ___________, ___________and ______. Some of the skills that I hope to acquire through the program are related to research techniques, information technology, and the analysis of scientific papers.
After the successful completion of this fellowship, I wish to come back to my home country and start practicing. I wish to open an exclusive clinic for female medicine and oncology and hope to create awareness and early diagnoses through various camps and workshops.
My dedication to women’s medical studies is the inspiration behind this decision to apply for this fellowship. I am sure this fellowship would mould my existing skills extensively and help me develop into a successful and compassionate medical professional. Attaining this great opportunity will enable me to make groundbreaking improvements in Oncology medicine in my home country.
How to Use These Examples?
Follow the below guidelines compiled by our experts to make the best out of the fellowship personal statement examples provided here.
- Refer the examples to understand the structure and format of fellowship personal statement.
- Review at least two fellowship personal statement examples to understand how one differs from another.
- Never copy from a sample personal statement for fellowship.
- Refer personal statement examples from trusted sources.
Pro Tips from Experts to Improvise Your Fellowship Personal Statement
It is the dream of every graduate student to receive a fellowship. A brilliantly written personal statement for fellowship is a magic wand that can turn that dream into a reality. Follow these pro tips from experts to turn your personal statement into winning one for the same.
Begin at the earliest:
Last minute rush in personal statement writing can leave you with no chance to correct any potential mistakes in it. So, start at the earliest.Comply with formatting directions:
Verify whether you are supposed to follow any specific formatting guidelines by the fellowship issuing institute. If you are, strictly comply with them.Customize your writeup:
Each fellowship is different. So, you have to customize your application and the personal statement accordingly. It will give selectors the idea that you are really serious.Maintain zero tolerance to mistakes:
Don’t let any mistakes to appear in your personal statement. Even if you have a good theme and story, mistakes in the writeup can adversely affect it during the selection process.Discuss with other applicants:
By discussing with your colleagues regarding the fellowship personal statement, you can gather insights and share your insights with them too.Make it agree with other docs:
If you are required to include any other documents in the application, for instance LOR, make sure the content in both agree to each other.
Top 10 Fellowship Programs You Should Apply with A Personal Statement
- Cardiology Fellowship
- Gastroenterology Fellowship
- Pulmonary Critical Care Fellowship
- Pediatric Fellowship
- Neonatology Fellowship
- Oncology Fellowship
- Radiology Fellowship
- Endocrinology Fellowship
- Pathology Fellowship
- Ophthalmology Fellowship
To Conclude
A good personal statement alone cannot give you 100% assurance for the fellowship. But a poorly written personal statement can certainly cause your application to get rejected.
This blog would help you approach your fellowship personal statement writing more strategically and confidently.
We would love to hear your feedback or suggestions on this. Leave them in the comment section below.
