The Medfools Orthopedic Surgery Sample Residency Personal Statement Library is now open!
These example Orthopedic Surgery residency personal statement samples are here for your viewing pleasure (fully anonymous). We’re hoping to add more in the future, including Pre-Med personal statements. If you’ve got one to add to the free library, don’t forget to contribute yours.
ORTHOPEDICS RESIDENCY PERSONAL STATEMENT
“I did it! I did it!” she exclaimed as she ran across the exam room. After years of being told that she would only be able to walk with crutches if she wasn’t confined to a wheelchair, a 10-year old patient with cerebral palsy ran for the first time in her life. I met her one of my first days in Pediatric Orthopaedic clinic. Less than two months after surgery, this 10-year old girl was given an entirely new life. She looked up at me with a huge smile on her face. Orthopaedics was the specialty I had been looking for.
The first two years of medical school introduced me to countless specialties that I could imagine myself entering into. I had a taste of several specialties through volunteering, work, and research, but I needed more “hands on” experience. During this time, I began working nights and weekends for State Organ/Tissue Procurement as a tissue procurement technician. We would remove from tissue donors everything from long bones, ribs and the iliac crest to lower limb veins, tendons, and even the heart en bloc for valves. It was the perfect job for a medical student. I was able to learn sterile technique, use of surgical instruments, and gain actual surgical experience without the fear of inflicting further injury to the patient. I loved the fast pace and feel of surgery. Then, during my first 3rd year rotation, I tore my ACL playing football and underwent autograft replacement one week before starting my surgical rotation. Standing on a swollen leg all day and icing it all night proved taxing and made me question my love for the OR. I enjoyed clinic during most of my rotations, but it also proved taxing without the variety of procedures.
My first day of 4th year in Pediatric Orthopaedics, I felt this was what I had been looking for. First of all, I could empathize with many of the patients in clinic having broken multiple bones myself: everything from a both bone forearm fracture skiing, to my nose in basketball practice, to a partial achilles tendon tear and then my ACL playing football, not to mention all the hand, finger, and toe fractures. Second, it brought back all of the excitement I felt in my job as a Tissue Procurement Tech with the additional adrenaline rush of working on a dynamic, living person. I was thrilled to see the opposite end of the work I had done in tissue recovery. Witnessing firsthand the results of allograft tendons, bone blocks, and fracture sites packed with bone powder further increased the pride I had in working with donors. Third, I valued being able to have an immediate impact on the patient’s quality of life. I saw an 8-year-old boy in the ER who had been hit by a car and sustained multiple displaced fractures with nerve impingement at his right elbow. The tears of concern and fear in the eyes of his parents were only matched by tears of relief when the cast was removed and full range of motion was reestablished.
Through Orthopaedics I could provide a good life for my family.. Knowing from experience that I would be prepared to take care of them in the event of an accident would also bring peace to my soul. My family is the most important aspect of my life and the highlight of my day is when I can give my wife and 8 week old daughter a hug and a kiss. My time to spend with them is extremely valuable to me. Also, a good physician should be well rounded and I value my occasional free time to pursue interests such as: football, scuba diving, skiing, hiking , hunting, community volunteer work, church activities, and the occasional nap. With good time management I feel I will be able to occasionally enjoy these aspects of my life.
I always hoped that I would be excited to go to work and that I would find people as passionate about their jobs as I was. I have yet to meet an Orthopaedic Surgeon who didn’t have a smile while telling me about their job. I could not be more excited about what my future holds.
uld answer the question, “Will I be able to see better after you remove my cataract?” To learn the skills necessary to begin to answer this type of question, I have decided to pursue an accelerated M.P.H. with a focus on Effectiveness and Outcomes Research over the upcoming year at The School of Public Health of Big University.
To apply my interest in clinical research to ophthalmology, I became involved with a study on glaucoma medication adherence with Dr. Janet Serle. We are developing a strategy to identify which patients are non-adherent and why they are non-adherent in a way that is minimally time-intensive for busy practitioners. In addition to planning the design and implementation of this project, I have helped procure funding for the study. This experience demonstrated my desire to develop the skills to identify clinical problems, investigate possible resolutions, and ultimately improve health care for patients.
Thus, my experiences in basic science and clinical research, my patient encounters in ophthalmology, and my advanced training in public health have all prepared me for a career in academic ophthalmology. As an eye physician and surgeon, I will maintain my broad range of interests from providing medical and surgical care to a diverse group of patients, to designing and running clinical trials, and to advocating for change in health policy. Finally, my strong work ethic, attention to detail, and profound respect for the importance of vision to a patient’s quality of life will all be valuable assets in both succeeding in a residency program and administering compassionate care for my patients.
