U.S. medical schools help their students with writing and editing their statements,
and most U.S. medical students are comfortable and familiar with U.S. systems.
Typical IMGs can’t access such formal and informal resources. As an English as a
Second Language professor, I also enjoy working with IMGs. So, proportionately,
most of my residency statement clients are IMGs.
However, I do work with both native English and ESL speakers. My clients for
medical school personal statements are usually U.S.-born citizens.
I’m sorry, but I don’t accept everyone. For instance, if you’re an IMG with weak
U.S. Clinical Experience (USCE), no research experience, and no publications, I’ll
advise you to work on those things before applying for surgery residencies. In
fact, I’ll advise you to rethink applying for surgery and opt for internal or family
medicine instead.
I may also choose not to work with you if we disagree on the direction your
statement is headed. I want everybody to be happy with your residency
statement, including me. If I review your information and don’t think I can help
you, I’ll let you know quickly so you can make other arrangements.
Also, especially as the application deadline approaches, I won’t have the time to
accommodate everyone. Again, I’ll let you know as soon as possible so you can
find other alternatives.
This is your personal statement, and you should be part of its creation. Therefore,
I require all clients to turn in a rough draft. If you want someone to write your
residency statement, several services will do that for you.
However, I often do some writing, like transitions or new stories, for my deep-
editing clients. I don’t invent stories. But if the candidate has written bland or
confusing content, I conduct phone interviews to clarify or elicit stories. In those
cases, I usually write the stories the candidate dictates to me.
Although some residency statement editing (and writing) services boast that they
don’t follow a template, that’s more of a slogan than a reality. All residency
programs require certain information, and it’s usually presented in a standard
way. So, yes, I do follow a defined framework for statements.
The introduction is an attention-grabbing personal story that introduces you as a
person and someone interested in medicine. Body paragraphs include patient
stories and explain why you’re interested in your specialty. Finally, the conclusion
talks about what you’re looking for in a program, reinforces what you have to
offer, and wraps things up in a memorable way.
Within that format, there’s leeway for creativity. I use my skills as a word wizard
to present my personal statement clients in the best possible light.
I know enough about science and medicine to ask follow-up questions if I don’t
understand something or if it doesn’t sound right. But this has never been a
problem. I trust my clients to get the medical details of their statement right, and
I work with the words and stories. That’s what my clients need the most help
with, anyway.
Here are the characteristics that make me an excellent residency statement
editor:
That depends. Some statements need minor stitches (light editing), while others
need major surgery (deep editing). Most IMGs will require deep editing. Please
see the Pricing section for detailed information.
All potential clients need to complete a rough draft. If you’ve already done that, please give me viewing access to those Google Docs. Use d.anazonwu@gmail.com as the email address.
Within 48 hours, I’ll evaluate your statement and let you know whether I can accept you as a client. I’m sorry, but I can’t accommodate all clients, especially as the application deadline approaches. I’ll also let you know what level of services
you’ll need.
If you agree to work with me, I require advance payment as outlined in the Terms and Conditions. I’ll deliver your edited statement depending on the timeline
outlined in the Pricing section. Revisions will be done promptly as outlined in the Terms and Conditions.
After we agree to work together, I’ll need upfront payment to begin working on
your statement. If I don’t deliver the statement within the promised timeline, I’ll
refund $97 unless you didn’t respond to my requests for further information
within 24 hours.
When I return your first draft, please review it and let me know if you want any
changes. The price includes one round of substantive revisions and an additional
round of minor revisions. If you’re a deep editing client who didn’t respond
promptly to requests for further information, your revisions will be limited to
information I had on hand before any revision requests.
Although I offer a timeliness guarantee (see Question 8), I can’t promise you’ll get
into a residency program. That decision is out of my hands. However, I’ve set up
several safeguards to ensure my clients are over-the-moon happy with my
services.
The first safeguard is choosing my clients. If I don’t think we’re a great fit, or if I’m
too busy, I’ll refer you elsewhere.
The second safeguard is revisions. Most of my clients are pleased with their first
drafts and request only minor changes. But if you’re not happy with your first
draft, your fee entitles you to one major and one minor revision.
For all practical purposes, I revise until you’re satisfied, since few people need one
major revision, let alone two. But to avoid the remote possibility of an endless
cycle of revisions, I cap them at one major and 1-2 minor revisions.