Ethics Senior medical students applying for residencies

Well, this is an interesting topic = the ethics of residency applications. Recently one of the very good students form the Senior class asked for my assistance in the personal statement aspect of the process. Here is my email response:
Yes, ...... I do remember you. Thank you for honoring me with the request to be of assistance. However, this request to help with the personal statement on the residency application is a very difficult issue to deal with for any faculty member. First because it is a personal statement and should be just that a personal statement! However, as someone who wants only the very best for you, I am subject to the natural desire to help polish the written product. Fortunately, your personal statement you sent me is very good. In most cases, I have found that simply by encouragement and discussion, students are able to work through the revision process without editorial assistance. Furthermore, it is only one part of the overall application. Reference letters, grades and the interview will all play a part. Now to the personal statement. Re-read it carefully and answer the important question - after reading this what does it say about me? Is it reporting my experiences? Is it reporting how I feel about my experiences ? Is it both? Is it neither? What about my personal statement would make me a desireable candidate? What is the one best reason a Surgery Residency Program should pick me? Have I conveyed that one best reason? When lying in bed alone at night after a hard day, what do I hold on to as my best quality? Did it shine through in my personal statement? Remember in the final analysis your personal statement is more about how you think of yourself than how others think of you! Thanks again for the request and reply with your thoughts. All my best. JTE.

Well, after writing that response, I began checking with other faculty and students. To my shock I discovered there is one faculty wife who actually ghost writes personal statements. Also, I found that there are faculty who gladly apply red pens and editorial supervision. It is my view that ghost written personal statements constitute blatant fraud and I would recommend rejection of any candidate guilty of same. What about faculty? I do not know of any censure available for them. This would seem to boil the selection process down to a review of grades, standardized scores, and letters of reference. Truly the phrase caveat emptor was never more appropriate!. JTE