Dermatology residency applications: correlation of applicant personal statement content with match result.

The personal statement is a narrative written by an applicant to residency programs to discuss his/her interests and express his/her personality, but it is unclear how the personal statement impacts the dermatology residency application process. The aim of this study was to analyze personal statements from applicants to a dermatology program at a major academic institution to identify common themes and determine if certain themes were associated with successful matching. All personal statements submitted to the dermatology residency program at UNC School of Medicine (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) during the 2012 application cycle (N=422) were analyzed to identify 9 common themes of content. Certain themes differed in prevalence between matched and unmatched applicants. Further investigation is needed to elucidate the impact of personal statement themes and other application content on the residency selection process.