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1/n My friend and colleague @BilalMohammadMD tweeted recently about how to write personal letters for residency. This is my personal opinion. I note that I& #39;m the PD for the Toronto GI program, which has a process described on the CaRMS website - applicants should follow that.
2/n This is with gastroenterology in mind. In general, the personal letter is the introduction I have to most candidates. I thoroughly read each one. Three things need to be addressed: (1) the reasons the candidate is applying to gastroenterology; (2) why the candidate thinks
3/n training with us will help them achieve their goals; and (3) what the candidate wants to highlight as the strengths of their application. This is a chance for a direct one-way conversation with the person evaluating the file to get the highlights immediately. Use it wisely.
4/n Authenticity is key. Be creative but forced creativity rubs me the wrong way. Don& #39;t write poems unless that is authentic for you. Don& #39;t start with a quote you just looked up on the internet - but do if it is meaningful to you and cogent to what you are writing about.
5/n Deciding on a specialty is complex. A thoughtful description of your process in deciding on GI really tells us a lot about you. Superficial anecdotes detailing how your first paracentesis made you realize your goal was to be the next Florence Wong, don& #39;t add much.
6/n To answer why you want to come to a program, you should know a little about the program. I realize this is hard during the pandemic with electives cancelled. But be thoughtful and personal. e.g. saying you want to come to my University because it& #39;s the best in whatever isn& #39;t
7/n saying much but saying that you want the opportunity to explore interests in a particular area, working with particular individuals, and having access to particular University resources, would be very meaningful, especially if it jives with the rest of the application.
8/n Please don& #39;t suck up. I tell everyone that clinical training programs across Canada in GI are all equally strong. I& #39;m not the best PD in the country. And U of T knows how great it is. This is your opportunity to pump your own tires, not ours.
9/n Be honest. A lot of people want to come to Toronto because of family, because it& #39;s home, because it& #39;s a great city, because of potential future opportunities, because they can go to Raptors games, etc. It& #39;s completely OK to say that in the personal letter IMO.
10/n Get others to look it over, especially those outside of medicine. Correct spelling and grammatical errors. Show your parents when it& #39;s done (they& #39;ll be proud of it).
