Personal Letter

My process in writing the personal letter 

*I would like to preface this section by saying that this was the route I took writing my essay. I'm sure there are other ways to approach it.*

University of Manitoba criteria for the personal letter

"A personal letter is also required indicating why you want to be a Physician Assistant (PA), why you should be accepted to the program and why you think you would make a competent PA. The letter must be no more than 750 words, using times new roman 11pt font."

6 Things to consider....

#1)  Research! Research! Research! Before starting your essay, make sure you spend time searching and learning everything you can about the profession. This will make it easier for you to relate your experiences to the profession. 

#2) Learn everything you can about the program offered at the university. There is lots of information on their website and it gives you an idea of what they are looking for. I suggest reading the document "Essential Skills and Abilities (Technical Standards) for Admission, Promotion and Graduation in the Physician Assistant Education Program (PAEP) ". I used this document as the guideline. I matched the skills that they listed to my own experiences and skills. 

#3) Focus on the task! - Focus on what makes you a good candidate to be a PA and show that you can be a PA. Be careful not to stray off topic.

#4) Show instead of tell - this can be said for the interview or any cover letter you write. An example would be, instead of saying "I am a good communicator" give an example of when you communicated well. This can be a job that you had previously or an interaction with a patient. 

#5) Replace words such as "very" and "good" and avoid using expressions like, "I believe". Ask others to edit and help improve wording in your essay to make your writing style stronger. 

#6) Take a look at this website. It has really helpful tips. http://www.mypatraining.com/pa-essay 

   
GOOD LUCK :)