There are many elements of a stellar application for medical school: Excellent grades, top-notch MCAT scores, excellent letters of recommendation, unique extracurricular activities, clinical experiences, etc. However, one thing that does not get the attention that it needs when it comes to putting together a competitive application is the importance of proofreading and editing.
One of my friends called last night saying that he's been turned down for every medical school that he's applied to. We took a look at his secondary apps and personal statement and they were SLOPPY & riddled with grammatical and spelling errors. It shouldn't need to be said but please, carefully proofread and edit your personal statement, primary, and secondary applications. These are the first introduction that a medical school admissions committee will have to you so you need to put your best foot forward. If English isn't your first language or if writing is not your forte, you have even more impetus to carefully proofread and edit your work before submission.
If you have a writing lab at your university, academic or pre-health advisor, professor, or even a friend who you trust, let them proofread and suggest edits. Also, understand that this isn't a quick process. I went through five drafts of my medical school personal statement before settling on a version that I thought was sufficient to submit with my applications. Expect to go through multiple rounds of proofreading and editing.
It should go without saying, but proofreading is important to ensure that there is not any (Not an all-inclusive list):
