Kalynn M. Schulz 82114 HOWTO DESIGN A STATEMENT OF PURPOSE? 1. Think about what makes for a successful graduate student and scientist. What skills and personal traits are helpful in this line of work? Which of those do you possess? Make a list. Seriously. Your statement should be built around these skills and traits you possess. Your specific research experiences will be used as a vehicle for 1) how you obtained these skills and 2) how your personal attributes helped you to excel at research and coursework. WHY? Because too often students write all the things they have done, and hope that it is OBVIOUS to the reader that they must have the necessary skills and traits for success in science. This strategy DOES NOT WORK! a. What do scientists need to be successful? i. Personality traits that are helpful: curiosity, tenacity, strong work ethic, attention to detail, open mindedness, honesty, positive attitude, getting along with others, working well in a team/collaborative environment, problem solver, flexibility, leadership skills, confidence, ability to take criticism and feedback positively etc etc. ii. Skills: 1. Scientific communication skills a. Oral i. power point presentations at lab meetings or conferences ii. poster presentations b. Written (papers, abstracts, etc) 2. Skills in experimental design and hypothesis testing 3. Skills in carrying out an experiment a. What are your experiences, and what did you learn about the process and yourself? What skills did you pick up, and how did your personality help you (e.g. teamwork, communication, flexibility, problem solving etc etc) 4. Ability to work independently and figure stuff out! Can you do a literature review? Can you come up with a good question to design an experiment around? e.g. if you work in a lab that studies obesity, can you generate some ideas about potential first experiments? a. Note that this “skill” requires several skills and personal attributes: i. The confidence to put your ideas out there for judgement ii. The ability to do literature reviews and figure out what is known and where the scientific gaps are in the literature that you could plan an experiment to address iii. Communication and people skills: you need to talk to people in your new lab to find out what is currently being done so that you don’t step on any toes! iv. The ability to respond positively to feedback/criticism 5. What skills can you think of that I haven’t listed here?!?!?! 2. 1st paragraph. This paragraph should briefly introduce to the reader: a. Who you are and why you are interested in a career in medicine, research, nursing, public health etc. b. Why you are interested in THEIR PROGRAM c. What are your research/clinical experiences, what skills you have gained through these experiences, and how your personal attributes have facilitated your success in research and will ensure your success in graduate school.
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Each paragraph that follows should describe in greater detail your experiences and skills gained as an undergraduate. BE SURE THESE PARAGRAPHS FOLLOW FROM YOUR INTRODUCTION: Do not introduce ideas that you didn’t bring up in the first paragraph, and don’t leave out anything you said you were going to discuss in the first paragraph. a. In general, there are two good ways to organize the body of your statement: Your paragraphs can be organized by EXPERIENCES or by SKILLS. i. ORGANIZATION STYLE 1 (EXPERIENCEBASED ORGANIZATION): 1. Experience 1 (working in a basic science lab): a. Briefly describe the project you participated in, and the findings of the study. b. What was your role in the project, what skills did you learn, and how did your personal attribute help you learn these skills. 2. Experience 2 (working in a clinical lab): a. Briefly describe the project you participated in, and the findings of the study. b. What skills did you learn, and how did your personal attribute help you learn these skills 3. Experience 3 (volunteering in a clinical setting): a. What was your role as a volunteer? b. What skills did you learn, and how did your personal attribute help you learn these skills c. 4. You will also need a short paragraph that discusses potential research labs you would like to work in. You can focus on one lab, or a few labs. The most important thing is that your reasons for wanting to work in those labs make sense in the context of your overall statement. If you have contacted these professors, it is appropriate to state this within the same paragraph.
ii. ORGANIZATION STYLE 2 (SKILLBASED ORGANIZATION): 1. Awesome Skillset 1 (e.g. experimental design and implementation): a. Describe the specific experiences and personal attributes that helped you to attain
this skill. 2. Awesome Skillset 2 (e.g. data management and analysis): a. Describe the specific experiences and personal attributes that helped you to attain this skill. 3. Awesome Skillset 3 (e.g. scientific communication): a. Describe the specific experiences and personal attributes that helped you to attain this skill. 4. You need a paragraph that discusses potential research labs you would like to work in. You can focus on one lab, or a few labs. The most important thing is that your reasons for wanting to work in those labs make sense in the context of your overall statement. If you have contacted these professors, it is appropriate to state this within the same paragraph. 4. Voila! You are pretty much done. 23 pages is normal for a statement of purpose/intent. Be sure to close with a short paragraph expressing your enthusiasm for the program you are applying to and research you will be doing there!