I received an email recently from an applicant who was interested in hiring me and wanted to know my thoughts on AMCAS’ new certification requirement. The phrasing is as follows:

“I certify that all written passages, such as the personal
statement, essays required from M.D./Ph.D. applicants, and
descriptions of work/activities, are my own and have not been written,
in part or in whole, by a third party. Quotations are permitted if the
source is cited.”

I want to remind applicants that I provide only editorial services; I do not generate content. This has been my policy since starting Insider, so the new certification is not a problem for me, my business or my clients.

Let me give you an example: In aggressively editing a personal statement, I will help with syntax, organization, etc., but I will not write any section for the applicant. I might make an explicit suggestion like “Another example of clinical work here that emphasizes your ability to communicate clearly will make this paragraph more robust. Can you think of something to add?” But I will not write a section for the applicant.

Throughout my website – home page, medical school applicant page, terms and conditions – I explicitly state that I do not generate content. I have turned down clients who have asked me to do so well before AMCAS required the new certification.