university of birmingham medicine personal statement

Widening Access to Medical and Dental Sciences

Just another Birmingham Blogs site

Guest Blog – How I Started Writing My Personal Statement

How I Started Writing My Personal Statement

When the challenge of writing my personal statement presented itself, unfortunately I had little guidance from the college I was studying at. Over the summer break I began to write my personal statement, so it’d be ready for my teachers and friends to provide feedback on. I’m glad I did so as I made many changes based on the feedback alone- which I never anticipated would be the case.

The first task I gave myself was probably the same as anyone reading this- I read articles and watched videos on how to write a medical personal statement, what makes one good, what to avoid and any useful resources I could refer to. I prefer anything I do to be fairly organised, so I collated and summarised this information to refer back to later- if need be.

Then I moved onto planning what my personal statement should ideally include. I wanted to ensure I made the most of my 4000 characters. I take a fairly logical approach whenever I have a big task to complete, so my planning process was to mind map generic areas I aimed for my personal statement to cover, essentially this helped me build up my ideas- some examples of the categories I made were:

• Why I want to study medicine, • First exposure to medicine • Favourite Medicine related topic in my A-level subjects • Relevant work experience • Best attributes/characteristics • Research/reading I’ve done • More about me- interests, hobbies- including my contributions to school and college.

I went through each category by turn and jotted any ideas I had. The mind map was quite a messy one once I was done with it, but I had something down which would give me a promising start. I called it a day after this and decided I’d revisit the mind map a couple of days later with a ‘fresh mind’.

Back with that fresh mind, I skimmed through the mind map and highlighted the ‘best bits’ from each category I made- these would make the cut into my personal statement. I also added any new ideas I had over the last 2 days (just so I could reference back to this mind map if I felt my personal statement wasn’t taking the direction I wanted once I began writing).

When beginning the writing stage of my statement, I struggled with writing the introduction. This is fairly common and nothing to worry about! I wrote the body of the statement and conclusion first- once I got a tone of the piece I moved to the introduction – I rewrote the intro a few times to provide a clear overview on myself and why I want to study Medicine. In the conclusion I spoke more about my hobbies and interests and how these would help me if I study Medicine.

The dreaded topic for me to write about was my work experience- the perception I had was that this would make or break the whole piece. I started to think about studying Medicine as soon as I’d left secondary school, but I didn’t decide this was it until I received my AS grades. I knew Medicine was quite competitive to get into so completed a few placements when I had the chance to increase my exposure to Medicine and different groups in society: This meant, if the time arose and Medicine wasn’t what I wanted to study anymore I had a belt of work experience that could take me into the Psychology or Sociology sector that was also on my mind.

My work experiences ranged from elderly/ children’s day-care centres, British Heart Foundation, NCS volunteering, health ambassador at sixth form etc and GP shadowing. To make the most of the limited words I had to express myself I linked my reflection of my work experiences and my matching attributes together to kill two birds with one stone. Keyword here being reflection- Medical schools like to see their applicants reflecting on any experiences they’ve had, anything they enjoyed, lessons they have learnt and anything that struck them and may leave a lasting impact on them. In order to reflect, ensure you keep a journal when completing placements so you could do this as you go along- this will aid you in the medical application process as you will probably pen down your thoughts in more depth. Use these logs to demonstrate how much you’ve learnt from each work experience, and how this experience has given you the skills to be a medical student or doctor- maybe take a look at the GMC good practice guidance for skills/qualities required for doctors for reference- this might help clarify the skills you’d like to reflect on. It is never too early to reflect in this manner as you can pick up on weaknesses and identify what actions to take to address these before you submit your application to medicine

I realise, due to the unique nature of the current COVID situation many of you will not have the oppurtunity to complete any relevant placements and add these to your statements as you would have originally planned. HOWEVER, with a postive outlook you could make the most of this unprecedented situation and demonstrate your passion and drive to study Medicine with what you do during your quarantine time. Use this time to pick up a new hobby and talk about this in your statement! Anything you do reflect on how this may help you become a better doctor- will it help you relax/ put a thinking cap on or is it a skill completely new to you? I’m a bit biased but read some of the other blogs we have put together for you- reflect on them and maybe write a post yourself- you would have done the research and shown the initiative- this is exactly what Med schools like to see.

There are also virtual work experience portals online and the traditional newspaper which contain medicine related articles- branch out and increase your exposure to Medicine! If it’s considered safe for you to complete some work experience in the community do so as long as you have thought and about this and consulted with somebody else about your plan. Alternatively, if you know somebody who is a medic or even a medical student, interview them on their favourite speciality to study, what it is like to study or practice medicine and reflect on how you may need to adapt to this.

Follow the BWAMS and wearemedics pages on Instagram which may help you with their regularly hosted lives and top tips. If you don’t have any hospital experience, don’t be disheartened! Not all medical schools require hospital experience so you’re better off than you think. Your personal statement might not the most conventional with regards to work experience, but you can definitely make it a win by ensuring your exposure and interest in Medicine hasn’t diminished as a result of the lockdown.

When I look at my statement now, it is a more academically styled one. I should remind you that everyone’s process is different and what you’d like your statement to focus on may differ from me- that’s okay. The aim is to portray yourself -your chosen layout and writing style will only add to that. That being said, there is seriously no need to break your pocket when writing your personal statement- many costly resources exist claiming to enhance your statement but honestly, you’re more than capable of doing the job yourself!

Also, you may not be pleased with your personal statement when you first write it, it took me a couple of drafts before I wrote what I considered ‘usable’ for my final draft. It certainly isn’t an easy piece to write especially when you consider that this is the impression of yourself you are leaving with the reader. Keep at it, remind yourself that preparing it now will save you A LOT of stress at the start of A2. More time to write it will give you more time to reflect on the piece, improve the quality and make it more streamlined and concise. It also means that when you send your statement to peers and teachers for feedback, you have more time to act on it. It will likely come out a more well-rounded and impressive piece if you spend more time on it.

Before sending your personal statement to others to read, read it aloud and make any corrections you seem fit based on this. Then move onto the feedback stage. Ensure, you choose 2-3 individuals maximum to check your statement to save yourself from the commentary and changes many readers could be asking you to make- at the end of the day it is YOUR piece and you don’t want to lose the essence of YOU from it!

Also make sure you don’t get carried away using big, fancy words as many students feel the need to when writing their statements. This will only distract the reader and lose the ‘realness’ from the piece. As with anything, this task is about balance in all respects so write what you would naturally write.

I will remind once again that everybody’s process is different. For me I built the Skeleton and moved onwards from that. I love tickboxes and had a few of these when writing my statement for different purposes. Ensure you think about who is reading your personal statement and aim to add this information to your piece- avoid clichés and be yourself to stand out! My must do steps:

1. More time in advance to complete the task 2. Mind map to begin with: as without a well thought plan, nothing comes to fruition as well as it could. 3. Log for work experience- helps keep your medicine related exposure and relevant reflection in detail and up to date.

I really hope you find this piece useful when beginning to think about writing your personal statement. I hope it goes well and we’ll see you in Birmingham (or any uni for that matter) soon. Remember hard work pays off- keep on pushing.

*One last thanks to a fellow 4th year medic and a close friend Ameenah Rasool who provided me with her invaluable advice and extra tips to help you write your personal statement- you’re a star!

By Zaiba Abid

A huge thanks to Zaiba for all the time and effort she put into putting this blog together.

For more information about BWAMS activities and support follow these links:

Web: https://www.bwams.co.uk You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHqZQfiHG-DjHS2h_CZ8voQ Twitter: @BWAMSbirmingham and @we_are_medics Instagram: @bwamsbirmingham and @wearemedics

MDS Outreach can be found using the following links: Web: www.birmingham.ac.uk/MDSOutreach Twitter: @UoB_MDSOutreach Instagram: @uob_mdsoutreach Blog: https://blog.bham.ac.uk/mds-outreach/ Email: [email protected]

Author: Clare Ray

Clare Ray is the College of Medical and Dental Sciences lead for Outreach and Widening Participation. View all posts by Clare Ray

Recommended pages

• Lecture timetables
• Campus maps
• Student digital services
• Staff Digital Services
• Student support
• Online registration
• Core systems
• Car parking
• Room bookings
• Staff development

Top Tips for Creating a Personal Statement - video transcript

Hi my name is Steve and I’m an Employability Advisor here at the University of Birmingham, and today we're going to be looking at personal statements for further study.

So today we're going to look at recognizing the audience for your statements, so that you can create content that meets their specific needs. We're going to look at how to structure a strong statements and also identify further resources that you might find helpful. Before you begin writing your statements, however, there are some things that you should consider.

Number one, how does this fit into my future plans? Why this course, and why this institution? Having a firm grasp on what makes the course and the institution unique amongst similar courses and similar institutions will help you provide a much stronger and more focused statements. You might want to ask do I have any relevant experience, do I meet the minimum requirements that one would need to study this course? And then also why does this subject interest me, because passion is a really important aspect of a personal statement.

So having a good understanding of why you're interested in in this particular subject is an absolute keystone to writing a strong statements. Put all of this together, imagine there's somebody from the course the admissions tutor, for instance, are standing in front of you, what are the reasons you'd give them for wanting to study that particular course if they were to be standing in front of you? Because this can really help you to focus upon the most important aspects of what you want to get out of this particular course, and area of study. 

So who is your audience? Well they largely fit into two separate categories. Number one, there are admissions officers. Now these are often centralized within institutions, so what I mean by that is typically they don't really have any links to the specific course for which you wish to apply. They are going to be looking that you actually meet the minimum requirements to study the course. And if you meet all those requirements, your application will be passed on to the admissions tutor who is far more likely to be directly connected with your course. So they're going to be looking at your suitability and potential. They're going to want to know about your long term plans and how studying on that course will support it and further those aims. So a personal statements can often be called a supporting statements. Below, we have an example of the type of language used. So “approximately 5000 characters explaining why you were interested in studying on your chosen program”. 

Now it's important to note that sometimes you'll have something quite broad that they might ask you, but sometimes they might phrase it in slightly different ways. And it might be phrased in one of the following ways. So, for instance, why do you want to undertake the program or research, what are your academic interests, why do you wish to study at our university, do you have any relevant work experience what are your career aspirations? They might phrase it in lots of different ways, but ultimately what you were trying to do with your personal statements is to provide evidence of the relevant skills experiences and ambitions that make you a particularly good fit for this specific course at this specific institution. For vocational courses, they often strict limits, so, for instance, in terms of teaching or law. So for teaching it has to be 47 lines or 4000 characters, whereas law via CAB it's, 10,000 characters so it can possibly be different from course the course, and institution to institution.

Now I’d just like to talk a little bit about structure. Your structure should fall into three main areas when it comes to a personal statement writing. Number one, your introduction, and this is where you want to grab the reader’s interest, create your personal hook. Then we have the content, which is going to take up around about 80% at least of the statement, and this is where you're going to evidence why you're such a great fit for their course and why their courses such a great fit for you. And then, to bring it full circle we're going to look at your closing statements and here you're going to summarize why this is the perfect or preferred next step for your career. 

So, in terms of the introduction. You want to be short and focused and to the point you don't want to begin with a complete history of your interest in this subject keep your focus on why you want to study that subject at this particular institution on this course. And it should be really, really clear in the first paragraph, what you're applying for so do include the full name of the course and the institution. Also, you want to get across why you want to study the course so try this if you can to sum it up in one sentence again imagine if somebody from the course was standing in front of you. And they say tell me in 10 seconds why you want to study this course, what would you tell them and that can be that can help to form a good basis for the why of your introduction. 

So now we have an example from a personal statements and I’m going to talk you through some good and some not so good elements of it. So, starting on the first line it's great that they mentioned, they want to study an MA in Publishing they are very specific there. And they go on to say that it will give them the opportunity to learn and develop, and this is great, but here we note that they say skills that would help me to pursue a career in the publishing industry. Now there is area here in which they can improve this is an opportunity to highlight some specific skills that they wish to gain and add in specifics like this, shows that you have a firm understanding of what the course offers can help you to stand out. They then go on to mention the name of the institution, and that was a range of modules both theoretical and practical again this is great, because it shows, they have an understanding of the different elements of the course they even go on to specify a specific module in e-publishing, which is really, really good again it's showing that we have specific knowledge. But then we fall into another area here where it could be improved again they say it will give me the opportunity to learn skills, but they don't say which skills. This again is an area where they could be more specific and help them stand out. 

Now we're going to talk a little bit about the content for your personal statements. We like to break it down into what we call the four P's and the first of which are person and place. So number one, why are you right for the course and then, secondly, why this institution. And these two things are going to be closely interconnected, all the way through your personal statements, so if you find yourself writing a paragraph about your suitability and perhaps your skills and experiences always try to link them back to specific elements of the course. And then, when you're writing about the institution and why it appeals to you, linking back specifically to your unique interests and ambitions don't just tell them about why they're wonderful. Make it as specific as possible, to you, you don't want to just be needlessly flattering them and telling them how wonderful they are. Pick specific elements of what appeals to you and tell them why. And these could, for instance, be unique course aspects staff specialisms some unique support or the resources that are available or the post graduate community within the departments. It might not be any of those it might be something very specific to the course for which you apply, but it should be something that you can link back to yourself, your own interests, motivations or career plans.

Now, in terms of the next up, we have preparation and passion. So, in terms of preparation, you want to show them that you are prepared for the course so you're going to want to highlight relevant modules or maybe your dissertation skills maybe research technical lab or practical, it's all going to depend on the type of course for which you're applying. And then any experience, and this could be professional voluntary or through your studies. Throughout your entire statements you want to be showing that you are passionate about this area of study. And the course and it's really important that you do your research, so think about your use of language throughout. But you can also show your passion, through your understanding of the sector industry demonstrated a long term interest or maybe you're a member of a relevant society. But when it comes to your content in the main body of your statements each paragraph should have a clear and distinct subject you could summarize in a sentence. So resist the urge to start a paragraph talking about one thing and then move on to something else entirely.

Secondly, you want to order topics, according to what your audience will most care about so you don't want to structure your statement in chronological order, starting with the beginning of your interest in the subject and then you'll GCSEs and then you’re A-levels and then your undergraduate degree for instance. Think about it more than terms of what would you want to tell them about first if they were in front of you, and what would you want to tell them about second and then third and fourth and fifth etc., by doing this, you will not only get their attention immediately, but keep it. And when you are talking about examples from your relevant experiences keep them short and supportive and focused. Then, finally, at the end of the statement you're going to have a closing statement. And with this, much like you introduction stay focused and highlight what you'd like to achieve by the end of the course. Be concise and remember to really emphasize that commitment to the course and subject area and just ensure that you maintain that positivity this is your last chance to show them your enthusiasm and passion.

So when it comes to academic statements just to recap, you want to show an awareness of course content modules you might like to take, for instance. You might also want to highlight modules from your undergraduate studies or relevant reading you've done, perhaps. You might want to highlight sector experience, maybe an internship you've done transferable skills, really, really emphasizing those longer term career goals and how this course would fit into them and also knowledge of the university and the departments.

When it comes to professional statements, for instance I mentioned for law teaching earlier, you want to show that you're committed to a vocational path. You want to show insight and understanding the rewards and challenges of that vocational path you want to show an awareness and evidence and skills and qualities required, as well as drawing upon a range of examples from your experiences. You also want to reflect upon what you've learned from said experiences, but much like academic statements what you're really trying to do throughout is to show why you specifically have a great fit for this path that you've chosen. In terms of tone and style you want to minimize essay style language. Keep your sentences short and succinct. You don't want to be writing sentences, for instance, that are 2,3,4 sentences long. If you find that's the case it's often better to break them into fewer shorter sentences. You want to avoid waffling and what do I mean by that what I mean is that every sentence should add relevant information. Every sentence should give them another reason to want you on their course, it can be a good exercise once you've written your first draft to go through your statement line by line and ask yourself, could I make the same point but with fewer words?

You want to check your spelling and grammar and mind your language, essentially, it can be a great idea to ask a friend or a family member to read through your statement for you. Because it's far easier to pick up on grammar or language mistakes and somebody else's work can also be a great idea in order to check the flow of the piece to actually read your statement out loud or record yourself and then listen back to it. It can be a really good idea to print a copy of your statement and spell check it by hand for some reason I’m not entirely sure why it is actually easier to spot mistakes on printed documents.

Don't flatter without substance, like I mentioned earlier, don't just tell them how wonderful they are. Make links between what you think's impressive about them and why you personally find those things impressive and don't waste your word limit by repeating unnecessary information that you've already detailed in other parts of your larger application.

So when it comes to references normally two or three are requested and usually they're going to want a combination of both academics and employers. Whatever they asked for, make sure that you contact them as soon as possible. Thanks for bearing with me. But remember you are asking for their permission to be a reference basically so contact them as soon as possible with your request. And because, ultimately, they are doing you a favour so you want to give them as much time and information as possible, so that they can write you a really good reference in a timely manner.

Now we have some useful links, here we have some online articles from Prospects and Studential. We have some great websites for more vocational courses so for law and teacher training. And we also have further resources from Imperial College London, so if you'd like to visit any of these sites and just suggest pausing this video now, so you can take notes. And that brings us to the end of today's video, and so I do hope you found it useful.

I just like to highlight some of our other resources, so we have lots of other application resources on our website, we can offer you. Written application feedback for personal statements and other application documents and we'll get back to you within five working days. We offer 10 minutes application appointments every week we've on webinars on lots of different other areas of applications and their recruitment processes. We run half hour practice interviews every week, so if you get invited to interview for a further study course get in contact with us and we'd be happy to run an interview for you. We also have CV checker which will check your CV and give you feedback within seconds and ShortlistMe that allows you to practice for interviews online. And we offer all of this support in the years following your graduation.

I’d just like to say again, I hope you found this video useful and good luck with any applications, you have coming up have a great day.

• Apply stage resources
• College of Arts and Law
• College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
• College of Life and Environmental Sciences
• College of Medical and Dental Sciences
• College of Social Sciences

Professional Services

• Academic Services
• Campus Services
• Development and Alumni Relations
• Executive Support
• External Relations
• Human Resources
• IT Services
• Legal Services
• Research Strategy and Services

• [email protected]
• +44 (0) 333 050 7764 (Mon-Fri (9AM-5PM)
• Award-Winning Medicine Application Support
• +44 (0) 333 050 7764 (Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM)

You decide how much you want to pay for our Personal Statement Bundles!

Other PS Support

All UCAT Support

All Interview Support

• All-In-One Tutor
• UCAS Statement Tutor
• Interview Tutor
• Medicine Mock Interviews
• A-Level Tutor
• Medical School Guides & Reviews
• Medical School Success Calculator
• PS Free Resources
• UCAT Free Resources
• Interview Free Resources
• Our Guarantee

Medicine Personal Statement Examples – Cambridge (Lucy)

Home » Application Guide » Medicine Personal Statement Examples – Cambridge (Lucy)

We believe in leveling the playing field. You can pay whatever you want  for our Personal Statement bundles!

Application Guide Menu

PS Self-Study

Awesome ps resources., awesome resources + course.

Welcome to our collection of Medicine Personal Statement Examples! We’ve searched far and wide to find personal statements from successful applicants all around the UK and asked them to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of their work for your own inspiration. Today’s subject is from Lucy, who studies Medicine at the University of Cambridge.

Lucy applied to study medicine in 2020 at some of the top Universities in the UK, including Imperial and Birmingham , and subsequently received offers from three of her four choices, of which she chose Cambridge.  

Let’s read the personal statement that got her a place at the University of Cambridge , or skip straight to her feedback to learn what made her personal statement a success!

Please be aware that these examples are meant purely for the sake of inspiration, and should absolutely NOT be used as a model around which to base your own personal statement. UCAS have a rather strict system that detects plagiarism .

Cambridge Medicine Personal Statement Example

Whole personal statement.

My interest in medicine stems originally from my fascination with science and its relation to the human body, and the opportunity to apply medical research to improve people’s lives. However, it was volunteering in a nursing home for a year and realising how much joy just offering care and empathy can give that motivated me to pursue a medical career.

Watching one of the residents with whom I had built a bond gradually showing the unrelenting impacts of ageing highlighted the difficulty in maintaining emotional resilience in medicine. This inspired me to read ‘Being Mortal’ which shed light on the roles of a doctor in end of life care whilst making me increasingly aware of the ethical dilemmas in supporting an ageing population. To enhance my interpersonal skills, I also volunteered at a charity shop where facing difficult customers has made me more confident and versatile in my interactions with the public.

Shadowing a GP emphasised to me the incredible demand put on primary care services but also the efficacy of triage and good organisation. Nurses ran minor illness clinics, freeing up GPs to see more urgent or complex patients which enabled the practice to run smoothly and efficiently. Despite having a backlog of patients to see, the GP’s calm and sensitive manner towards each individual was inspiring. A high level of care I aspire to achieve as a doctor. My hospital work experience reiterated the value of cohesive team-work during an anterior cruciate ligament replacement and I was impressed by how team members’ roles and responsibilities complemented each other. Team-work and leadership are integral to my role as a Prefect and as co-secretary in BAYouth, the Welsh NHS’ youth advisory panel, ensuring that minutes are written and projects completed. Sitting on interview panels has given me an insight into the diversity of roles within healthcare and the importance of each member in a multidisciplinary team.

I thoroughly enjoyed doing my Extended Project on nanomedicine as it showed how the scientific disciplines of physics, biology and chemistry overlap each other in medicine. Synthesising complex scientific literature taught me valuable critical thinking and extended writing skills. Through time-consuming amendments, challenging me to deal with uncertainty and situations not going to plan, I found that effective organisation made the research process much more manageable, allowing me to complete my EPQ to a high standard in one year. The scientific principles that underpin medicine continue to fascinate me, and therefore, I arranged work experience in the Centre for Nanohealth. It was exciting to successfully make and test my own glucose microneedle biosensor and assist in cutting-edge medical research.

As a naturally curious person, I enjoy investigating medical advancements in the New Scientist magazine. Since coming across a patient with fibromyalgia in my work experience, I have also been interested in topics surrounding neuroscience. The prospect of utilising scientific innovation in clinical contexts excites me and I look forward to furthering my understanding of science throughout my career.

As a Grade 8 pianist, I relish in performing in concerts and competitions under pressure. However, music, alongside badminton, mainly helps me to relax. I enjoyed completing my Bronze Duke of Edinburgh award and the UKMT Mathematics challenges which made use of my problem-solving skills, and doing Grade 8 LAMDA examinations enhanced my communication skills. I believe effective time-management enables me to integrate academia with relaxation so that I can maintain a good work-life balance.

My resolve to study medicine is the result of long contemplation. I know that it will often be gruelling and will involve sacrifices, but I believe it will offer a sense of satisfaction like no other job. My intrinsic scientific curiosity along with my desire for social interaction drive a commitment to medicine as a life-long endeavour.

Need some extra guidance in your Personal Statement preparations?

Signing up to the Personal Statement Bundle means you’ll be guided by expert Medics who will help you write the perfect Personal Statement and provide unlimited redraft submissions. 

Want to learn how to Write the Perfect Personal Statement? This bundle is the one for you…

Pay what you want for expert Personal Statement support.

Write an impressive Personal Statement with the help of our in-depth resources and intensive crash course, all for the price that you decide.

Personal Statement Crash Course

Cambridge Medicine Personal Statement Example Analysis

Now, let’s go section by section and see what Lucy has to say about what she wrote:  

INTRODUCTION

Introduction

The introduction is simple & clear, with no filler or frills. My intention was simply to state why I wanted to go into healthcare rather than a purely scientific career . It’s always good to hone in on what is about medicine in particular that interests you, as it is very easy to discuss topics that could apply to other subjects like Biology, Chemistry, etc. It was also backed by evidence from my time in the care home. It is not too long which is important for maintaining attention, but gets across a lot of points and provides topics for further discussion in the main body of the statement.

It does feel a bit cliched to speak about medicine in such a noble and positive way, but it is how I genuinely felt when writing this statement. This can be seen in some of my choices of words, such as ‘joy’, which could have been a bit more sincere and less idealistic. The admissions team want to see people with an actual desire to enter medicine, but it can perhaps seem naive to describe experience like this in such a way. It also reads as if the nursing home was the only reason for me to pursue medicine rather than an accumulation of experiences, which wasn’t the case.  

Paragraph 1

This paragraph follows on from the introduction very directly as it goes into my experience in a nursing home which linked to my reading of ‘Being Mortal’, indicating that I have followed up on my interests and reflections. You should always be looking to demonstrate you understanding of the subject by discussing the connections between different experiences, as well as discussing how they link with medicine as a whole. Not only does it show an understanding of the things you do, but it also tells a story, which makes the statement more interesting to read. I also stated what steps I had done to improve on the skills I saw/read, another key element of writing a personal statement; reflection of one’s experiences.

I was a bit too vague with my discussion of ‘ ethical issues ‘ but it does give some room for exploration in the interview. However, the biggest flaw with this paragraph is the last sentence. While the connection between difficult customers and difficult patients may seem fairly obvious, this is still the type of thing that I should have actually explored in writing. Even with this in mind though, trying to connect retail experience with medical work was a very big stretch, one that makes me seem even more naive as the two fields are on completely different levels. This was a case of me having experience I wanted to mention without thinking about how it would work in the statement as a whole.  

Paragraph 2

Here, I delve into my most relevant work experience , which is essential for any medical personal statement. Through my description of the things I saw and did, I was able to express the various lessons and values I learnt from my time there. Showing how meaningful the experience was to my development is important for showing my commitment and engagement with the subject. As a more general example, I emphasised the importance of teamwork and showed appreciation for all healthcare workers I had encountered rather than just the doctor, further displaying my appreciation of the work it takes to enter the medical field.  

My first major issue isn’t really with the paragraph itself but with the format of the statement as a whole. This should have been my first main body paragraph, as it is a much stronger introduction to my abilities and understanding compared to my experience in care or retail. Those two things are important to mention, but I didn’t start with my best foot forward, which is a definite mistake. In terms of the actual writing here, I didn’t go into detail of specific experiences/things I saw that showed teamwork and was quite vague in ‘complemented each other’- in what way? Instead of describing that I saw a lot of teamwork, I could have cut down the experiences and went into one specific one in more detail.  

Paragraph 3

This paragraph emphasises my scientific interest which is an important skill to demonstrate,   especially for Oxbridge applications. Since I sought out work experience in an area related to my EPQ, it shows I am truly interested and dedicated in the topic. While you need to be prepared to branch out into other area throughout your studies, demonstrating that you have already formed an interest in a specialist subject is great for showing that you are proactive and independent.  

Instead of just saying I arranged work experience, I should have reflected more on what I gained from it or learnt from it. I could have also described a more specific area of nanomedicine or an interesting case I saw to guide/predict interview questions more easily. The amount of detail I went into was decent, but you can always go deeper into topics, provided you’ve got the word count for it. Either way, it creates a good discussion point at you interview.  

Paragraph 4/5

These two paragraphs delve deeper into my research and extra-curricular activities , which is always an important thing to discuss in the latter half of your personal statement. The research especially further demonstrates my interest in the subject, while my extra curricular activities help to portray me as a hard-working, well-rounded and multi-skilled individual, something that’s always important for admissions teams.

While my research shows further dedication and understanding for the medicine, I have not linked any of my extra-curricular activities to the subject in anyway. I do mention so very general skills that have been developed from these activities, but the best personal statements would link these activities back to medicine in some way, even just with a brief sentence or passing mention. How do my piano or badminton skills make me a better medical student? This is the type of question you should aim to answer.  

Want more expert Personal Statement support?

Pay What You Want for expert Personal Statement guidance from 6med, including comprehensive resources and access to an intensive crash course.

Personal Statement Work Book

Personal Statement Workbook

Looking for more support with your Personal Statement?

When you sign up to 6med’s Personal Statement Bundle, you’ll be getting guidance from expert Medics, alongside a tonne of insightful resources to teach you everything you need to know about personal statement writing.

So are you ready to Write the Perfect Personal Statement? Then get started today with 6med!

This conclusion is short and sums up my reasons to study medicine nicely, which is exactly what a good conclusion should do. However, it also describes how I appreciate the challenges that come with it, which show a level of self-awareness and realism that I perhaps missed in my introduction. It follows from the paragraph about my work/life balance which demonstrates appreciation of the sacrifices made in medicine, while demonstrating that these are sacrifices I would happily make for a chance to study, and eventually work, in medicine.

I think that ‘ social interaction’ could have been replaced by something more specific to medicine such as saving lives or advancing medicinal technology, as social interaction could encompass quite a lot of professions. Overall though, I feel this is a very solid conclusion!

Final Thoughts

I have covered practically everything that is expected of a good personal statement in some form here. Despite a couple of structural issues, I believe I have prioritised the the most important and most effective parts of my experience in order to create a statement that paints me in a very good light. From almost all of my work experiences, I have tried to improve certain skills and I showed that I took action to do so. The introduction is as clear as I could make it which is important to convey my key reasons to study medicine while the conclusion sums everything up nicely without repeating too much from the rest of the statement.

There are various smaller issues scattered around this personal statement, but nothing that makes it become a weak piece of work. For one, some of the statements I made were unnecessary and vague. Rather than aiming for quantity of experiences/skills, I think that delving into the most important ones with good reflection and understanding of their relevance would have been better. I could have also removed the section about LAMDA exams and piano exams as they would have been described in my UCAS application anyway, and don’t link to medicine in any meaningful way in my writing.  

As I said before, I didn’t start the discussion of my experiences with the most impressive and important part, my work experience, which undervalues all the work I did during the time somewhat. My final paragraph about my extra-curricular activities was also a bit weak looking back at it, as the admissions team will only be so impressed by these achievements if I haven’t explained how they have improved my abilities in medicine.  

So there you have it! This personal statement helped Lucy get 3/4 offers in her application, which is an incredibly desirable position for any applicant to be in!

Everyone has different experiences and abilities, so you may not be able to relate to everything that was said in this personal statement. However, the information and advice provided by Lucy is universal and will help any applicant write a better personal statement!  

Be sure to check out more Medicine Personal Statement Analyses to see advice from all different kinds of applicants, including Ali Abdaal himself, who also attended Cambridge! Or if you want to get started on your own statement, check out 6med’s Personal Statement Bundle for all the support and resources you’ll ever need! If you want full support on every part of your application and a guaranteed place at med school, the Complete Bundle will be perfect for you.  

More Medicine Personal Statement Examples & Inspiration

Reapplying to Medicine – Anton’s Personal Statements

Medicine Personal Statement Inspiration – Jonathan (Cambridge)

Medicine Personal Statement Inspiration – Millie (Cambridge)

Medicine Personal Statement Inspiration – Duranka (Oxford)

Medicine Personal Statement Inspiration – James (UCL)

Graduate Entry Medicine Personal Statement – Samah (Cambridge)

Medicine Personal Statement Inspiration – Ali Abdaal (Cambridge)

Medicine Personal Statement Examples – Cambridge (Elizabeth)

Medical Biosciences Personal Statement Example – Imperial College London

Graduate Medicine Personal Statement Examples – Warwick (Laura)

Medicine Personal Statement Examples – Plymouth (Abdullah)

Medicine Personal Statement Examples – King’s College London (Azzra)

Graduate Medicine Personal Statement Examples – Brighton and Sussex

Medicine Personal Statement Examples – Cardiff University (Faris)

Graduate Medicine Personal Statement Examples – Sunderland (Ikrah)

Medicine Personal Statement Examples – Cambridge (Annie)

Medicine Personal Statement Examples – Oxford (Alexander)

Medicine Personal Statement Examples – Bristol (Faraz)

Are you feeling stuck with your Personal Statement?

Matthew Amalfitano-Stroud

unlock infinite medical wisdom

Just leave your email in the box and you’ll receive weekly updates and the best tips for your medical application!

Application Support

• Personal Statement
• Crash Courses
• 1-1 Tutoring

Free Resources

• Personal Statement Free Resources
• Medicine Application Guides

Other Stuff

• UCAT.Ninja™
• Exams.Ninja
• School Support
• Tutor With Us
• Help Centre

Crushing the UCAT: Essential Info Session with 6med Experts

23rd of June | 10 AM BST 

• (888) 381-9509
• [email protected]
• Book a Meeting
• student login
• Student Login
• Our Services
• Our Story How it started
• Our Team Meet Our Advisors & Tutors
• Our Services How we can help you
• Our Difference Learn why we stand out
• Success Stories & Testimonials Hear the stories
• For Parents Learn why you should trust us
• Organizational Partners Provide value to your students
• Institutional Partners Enhance your student offering
• In the News Read Our Stories
• Frequently Asked Questions Find answers
• MCAT Tutoring One-on-One Personalized Help
• MCAT Go An Audio Learning Experience
• MCAT Practice Exams Boost Your Score
• MCAT Prep App Videos, Flashcards & Q-Bank
• MCAT CARS Mastery Top-Rated CARS Video Course
• Pre-Med Coach Early High School Roadmap Planning
• College Admissions 11th & 12th Grade Pre-Med Consulting
• Direct Med Advising BS/MD Application Support
• Interview Preparation BS/MD Candidates
• Pre-Med Coach Pre-Application Development
• Application Advising Med School Admissions Support
• Personal Statement Editing Refine Your Narrative
• AMCAS Editing Application Editing
• Secondary Editing Secondary Application Editing
• Interview Preparation Realistic Practice
• CASPer Preparation Simulation & Coaching
• Ontario Application Support OMSAS Application
• Residency Advising Complete Match Support
• Residency Interview Preparation
• ERAS Personal Statement Refine Your Story
• USMLE STEP 1 Maximize your scores
• USMLE STEP 2 Shine on your boards
• USMLE STEP 3 Conquer your final hurdle
• COMLEX LEVEL 1 and 2 Score higher
• Travel with Us Hands-On Clinical & Research
• Virtual Shadowing Explore Medical Specialties
• Extracurricular Activities Apply now!
• Under the Stethoscope Admissions Video Course
• Research Roadmap Master Clinical Research
• MSC Score Calculate Your Chances
• Guidebooks Comprehensive Guides
• Med School Explorer Find Your School
• MCAT Review Videos, Questions, Notes

The Only 3 Medical School Personal Statement Examples You Need to Read

Posted in: Applying to Medical School

Table of Contents

The personal statement is one of the most important parts of the med school application process because t his mini-essay is a critical opportunity for you to stand out from other prospective medical students by demonstrating your passion and personality, not just your grades.

Admissions committees receive hundreds or more AMCAS medical school applications , so yours should be unique and captivating. Your medical school personal statement shows admissions officers who you are beyond your high school or pre-med GPA , extracurriculars , and MCAT score . 

The best personal statements are… well, personal . This is your chance to share what life experiences have compelled you toward a career in healthcare or the medical field , and how those experiences shape the picture of your ideal future.

MedSchoolCoach has crucial advice for writing your personal statement . 

Read these examples of personal statements for prospective med students.

Writing a great medical school personal statement is a lot easier with the right support. We’ve helped numerous med school applicants craft top-notch personal statements and can do the same for you.

But first: 7 steps to writing an engaging personal statement.

Before you read these excellent examples, you need to understand the process of writing a personal statement.  

Include these in your medical school personal statement:

• Why you’re passionate about becoming a doctor
• Your qualities that will make you a great physician
• Personal stories that demonstrate those qualities
• Specific examples of the communities you want to serve as a member of the medical field

What are the most important things to remember when writing a medical school personal statement ?

• Begin the writing process early: Give yourself plenty of time for brainstorming and to revisit your first draft, revising it based on input from family members and undergrad professors. Consult the application timeline for your target enrollment season.
• Choose a central theme: An unfocused essay will leave readers confused and uninterested. Give your statement a clear thesis in the first paragraph that guides its formation.
• Start with a hook: Grab the reader’s attention immediately with your statement’s first sentence. Instead of opening with a conventional introduction, be creative! Begin with something unexpected.
• Be the you of today, not the you of the future: Forecasting your future as a physician can come across as empty promises. Don’t get caught up in your ambitions; instead, be honest about your current situation and interest in the field of medicine.
• Demonstrate your passion: It’s not enough to simply state your interest in becoming a doctor; you have to prove it through personal stories. Show how your perspectives have been shaped by formative experiences and how those will make you an effective physician.
• Show, don’t tell : Avoid cliches that admissions committees have heard hundreds of times, like “I want to help people.” Make your writing come alive with dynamic, persuasive storytelling that recounts your personal experiences.
• Tie everything together: Conclude by wrapping up your main points. Reiterate your passion for the medical profession, your defining personal qualities, and why you’ll make a good doctor.

You can read more about our recommended method in our step-by-step guide , but those are the major points.

Example 1 — From the Stretcher to the Spotlight: My Journey to Becoming an Emergency Medicine Physician

Another siren shrieks as the emergency room doors slide open and a team of EMTs pushes a blood-soaked stretcher through the entrance. It’s the fifth ambulance to arrive tonight — and only my first clinical shadowing experience in an emergency medicine department since my premed education began.

But it wasn’t my first time in an emergency room, and I knew I was meant to be here again.

In those crucial moments on the ER floor, many of my peers learned that they stumble in high-pressure environments. A few weeks of gunshot wounds, drug overdoses, broken bones, and deep lacerations in the busiest trauma bay in the region were enough to alter their career path.

They will be better practitioners somewhere predictable, like a pediatrician in a private practice where they choose their schedules, clients, and staff.

Every healthcare provider has their specialties, and mine are on full display in those crucial moments of lifesaving care. Why am I pursuing a career in Emergency Medicine? Because I’ve seen firsthand the miracles that Emergency Medicine physicians perform.

12 years ago, I was in an emergency room… but I was the one on the stretcher.

A forest-green Saturn coupe rolled into my parent’s driveway. The driver, my best friend Kevin, had just passed his driving test and was itching to take a late-night run to the other side of town. I had ridden with Kevin and his father many times before when he held his learner’s permit. But this time, we didn’t have an adult with us, and the joyride ended differently: with a 40-mph passenger-side collision, T-boned by a drunk driver.

I distinctly recall the sensation of being lifted out of the crumpled car by a paramedic and laid onto a stretcher. A quick drive later, I was in the care of Dr. Smith, the ER resident on call that night. Without missing a beat, he assessed my condition and provided the care I needed. When my mom thanked him for saving my life, he simply responded, “It’s what he needed.”

Now I’m watching other doctors and nurses provide this life-saving care as I observe as a premed student. I see the way the staff works together like a well-oiled machine, and it reminds me of my time in high-school theater.

Everyone has a role to play, however big or small, to make the show a success. All contributions are essential to a winning performance — even the technicians working behind the scenes. That’s what true teamwork is, and I see that same dynamic in the emergency department.

Some actors freeze during performances, overcome by stage fright. Other students are too anxious to even set foot in front of an audience; they remain backstage assisting with split-second costume changes.

Not me. I felt energized under the spotlight, deftly improvising to help my co-stars when they would forget their lines. Admittedly, I wasn’t the best actor or singer in the cast, but I provided something essential: assurance under pressure. Everyone knew me as dependable, always in their corner when something went awry. I had a reputation for remaining calm and thinking on my feet.

My ability to stay unruffled under pressure was first discovered on stage, but I can use it on a very different platform providing patient care. Now, when other people freeze under the intensity of serving public health on the front lines, I can step in and provide my calm, collected guidance to see them through.

As an ER doctor, I will have to provide that stability when a nurse gets flustered by a quarrelsome patient or shaken from an irreparably injured infant. When you’re an Emergency Medicine physician, you’re not following a script. It takes an aptitude of thinking on your toes to face the fast pace and unpredictable challenges of an emergency center.

During my time shadowing, I saw experienced physicians put those assured, gentle communication skills to use. A 13-year-old boy was admitted for a knife wound he’d received on the streets. He only spoke Spanish, but it was clear he mistrusted doctors and was alarmed by the situation. In mere minutes, one of the doctors calmed the patient so he could receive care he needed.

Let me be clear: I haven’t simply gravitated toward Emergency Medicine because I liked it most. It’s not the adrenaline or the pride that compel me. I owe Emergency Medicine my life, and I want to use my life to extend the lives of other people. Every person brought into the trauma bay could be another me , no matter what they look like.

People are more than their injury, health record, or circumstances. They are not just a task to complete or a challenge to conquer.

My childhood injury gave me an appreciation for the work of ER doctors and a compassion for patients, to foster well-being when people are most broken and vulnerable. I already have the dedication to the work and the heart for patients; I just need the medical knowledge and procedural skills to perform life-saving interventions. My ability to remain calm, think on my toes, be part of a team, and work decisively without making mistakes or overlooking critical issues will serve me well as an Emergency Medicine physician.

Some ER physicians I spoke with liked to think that they’re “a different breed” than other medical professionals — but I don’t see it that way. We’re just performing a different role than the rest of the cast.

Breaking It Down

Let’s look at what qualities make this a great personal statement for med school.

• Engaging opening: The writer painted a vivid scene that immediately puts the reader in their shoes and leaves them wanting more.
• Personal examples: The writer demonstrated his ability to stay calm, work as a team, and problem-solve through theater experience, which he also uses as a comparison. And, he explained his passion for Emergency Medical care from his childhood accident.
• Organized: The writer transitions fluidly between body paragraphs, connecting stories and ideas by emphasizing parallels and hopping back and forth between time.
• Ample length: Makes full use of the AACOMAS and AMCAS application personal statement’s character limit of 5,300 characters (including spaces), which is about 850-950 words.

Unsure what traits and clinical or research experience your preferred medical school values ? You can research their admissions requirements and mission statement using the MSAR .

Example 2 — Early Clinical Work For Empathetic Patient Care

The applicant who wrote this personal statement was accepted into University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, and Tufts University School of Medicine.

As I walked briskly down the hall to keep up during our daily rounds in the ICU, I heard the steady beeping of Michelle’s cardiac monitor and saw a ruby ornament twinkling on the small Christmas tree beside her. She was always alone, but someone had decorated her room for the holidays.

It warmed my heart that I wasn’t the only one who saw her as more than a patient in a coma. I continually felt guilty that I couldn’t spend more time with her; her usual companions were ventilators, IV bags, and catheters, not to mention the golf ball-sized tumors along her spine. Every day, I thought about running to Michelle’s bedside to do anything I could for her.

Thus, I was taken aback when my advisor, who was visiting me that day, asked me if I was okay. It never crossed my mind that at age 17, my peers might not be able to handle the tragedies that healthcare workers consistently face. These situations were difficult, but they invoked humanity and compassion from me. I knew I wanted to pursue medicine. And I knew I could do it.

From my senior year of high school to my senior year of college, I continued to explore my passion for patient interaction.

At the Stepp Lab, I was charged with contacting potential study participants for a study focusing on speech symptoms in individuals with Parkinson’s Disease. The study would help future patients, but I couldn’t help but think: “What are we doing for these patients in return?” I worried that the heart and soul behind the research would get lost in the mix of acoustic data and participant ID numbers.

But my fears were put to rest by Richard, the self-proclaimed “Parkinson’s Song & Dance Man,” who recorded himself singing show tunes as part of his therapy. Knowing that he was legally blind and unable to read caller ID, I was always thrilled when he recognized my voice. The spirit in his voice indicated that my interest in him and his journey with Parkinson’s was meaningful. Talking with him inspired me to dive deeper, which led to an appreciative understanding of his time as a sergeant in the U.S. military.

It was an important reminder: my interest and care are just as important as an effective prescribed treatment plan.

Following graduation, I began my work as a medical assistant for a dermatologist. My experience with a patient, Joann, validated my ability to provide excellent hands-on patient care. Other physicians prescribed her painkillers to relieve the excruciating pain from the shingles rash, which presented as a fiery trail of blisters wrapped around her torso. But these painkillers offered no relief and made her so drowsy that she fell one night on the way to the bathroom.

Joann was tired, suffering, and beaten down. The lidocaine patches we initially prescribed would be a much safer option, but I refused for her to pay $250, as she was on the brink of losing her job. When she returned to the office a week later, she held my hand and cried tears of joy because I found her affordable patches, which helped her pain without the systemic effects.

The joy that pierced through the weariness in her eyes immediately confirmed that direct patient care like this was what I was meant to do. As I passed her a tissue, I felt ecstatic that I could make such a difference, and I sought to do more.

Since graduation, I have been volunteering at Open Door, a small pantry that serves a primarily Hispanic community of lower socioeconomic families. It is gut-wrenching to explain that we cannot give them certain items when our stock is low. After all, the fresh fruits and vegetables I serve are fundamental to their culturally-inspired meals.

For the first time, I found myself serving anguish rather than a helping hand. Usually, uplifting moments strengthen one’s desire to become a physician, but in this case, it was my ability to handle the low points that reignited my passion for aiding others.

After running out of produce one day, I was confused as to why a woman thanked me. Through translation by a fellow volunteer, I learned it was because of my positivity. She taught me that the way I approach unfavorable situations affects another’s perception and that my spirited attitude breaks through language barriers.

This volunteer work served as a wake-up call to the unacceptable fact that U.S. citizens’ health suffers due to lack of access to healthy foods. If someone cannot afford healthy foods, they may not have access to healthcare. In the future, I want to partner with other food banks to offer free services like blood pressure readings. I have always wanted to help people, but I now have a particular interest in bringing help to people who cannot afford it.

While the foundation of medicine is scientific knowledge, the foundation of healthcare is the word “care” itself. I never found out what happened to Michelle and her Christmas tree, but I still wonder about her to this day, and she has strengthened my passion to serve others. A sense of excitement and comfort stems from knowing that I will be there for people on their worst days, since I have already seen the impact my support has had.

In my mind, becoming a physician is not a choice but a natural next step to continue bringing humanity and compassion to those around me.

How did this personal statement grab and sustain attention so well?

• Personalization: Everything about this statement helps you to understand the writer, from their personal experiences to their hope for how their future career will look.
• Showing, not telling: From the first sentence, the reader is hooked. This prospective medical student has plenty of great “on paper” experience (early shadowing, clinical experience, etc.), but they showed this with storytelling, not by repeating their CV.
• Empathy: An admissions committee reading this personal statement would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this student cares deeply about their patients. They remember first names, individual details, and the emotions that each patient made them feel.
• A clear path forward: The writer doesn’t just want to work in the medical field — they have a passion for exactly how they want to impact the communities they serve. Outside of strictly medical work, they care about the way finances can limit access to healthcare and the struggle to find healthy food in food deserts around the US .

Read Next: How Hard Is It to Get Into Medical School?

Example 3 — Beyond the Diagnosis: The Importance of Individualized Care in Medicine

The applicant who wrote this personal statement was accepted into Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and Nova Southeastern University College Of Osteopathic Medicine.

Dr. Haywood sighs and shakes her head upon opening the chart. “I was worried about her A1C. It’s up again. Hypertension, too. Alright, let’s go.”

As we enter the patient’s room, I’m expecting the news about her blood sugar and pressure to fill the room. Instead, Dr. Haywood says, “Roseline! How are you doing? How’s your girl, doing well?”

Dr. Haywood continues to ask questions, genuinely interested in Roseline’s experience as a new mother. If not for the parchment-lined examination chair and anatomy posters plastered to the wall, this exchange could be happening in a grocery store. What about her A1C? Her blood pressure? Potential Type II diabetes?

As I continue to listen, Dr. Haywood discovers that Roseline’s mother moved in with her, cooking Haitian meals I recognize as high on the glycemic index. Dr. Haywood effortlessly evolves their conversation to focus on these. Being Haitian herself, she knows some traditional dishes are healthier than others and advises Roseline to avoid those that might exacerbate her high blood sugar and blood pressure. Dr. Haywood also suggests Roseline incorporate exercise by bringing her baby on a walk through her neighborhood.

During my shadowing experience, I observed one of the core components of being a physician through several encounters like this one. By establishing a relationship with her patient where Roseline was comfortable sharing the details of new motherhood, Dr. Haywood was able to individualize her approach to lowering the patient’s A1C and hypertension. Inspired by her ability to treat the whole person , I began to adopt a similar practice as a tutor for elementary kids in underserved areas of D.C.

Shaniyah did not like Zoom, or math for that matter. When I first met her as a prospective tutee online, she preferred to keep her microphone muted and would claim she was finished with her math homework after barely attempting the first problem. Realizing that basing our sessions solely on math would be fruitless, I adapted my tutoring style to incorporate some of the things for which she had a natural affinity.

The first step was acknowledging the difficulties a virtual environment posed to effective communication, particularly the ease at which distractions might take over. After sharing this with Shaniyah, she immediately disclosed her struggles to share her work with me. With this information, I found an online platform that allowed us to visualize each other’s work.

This obstacle in communication overcome, Shaniyah felt more comfortable sharing details about herself that I utilized as her tutor. Her love of soccer gave me the idea to use the concept of goal scoring to help with addition, and soon Shaniyah’s math skills and enthusiasm began to improve. As our relationship grew, so did her successes, and I suspect the feelings I experienced as her tutor are the same as a physician’s when their patient responds well to prescribed treatment.

I believe this skill, caring for someone as a whole person , that I have learned and practiced through shadowing and tutoring is the central tenet of medicine that allows a doctor to successfully treat their patients.

Inspired by talking with patients who had received life-altering organ transplants during my shadowing experience, I created a club called D.C. Donors for Georgetown University students to encourage their peers to register as organ donors or donate blood. This experience taught me that to truly serve a person, you must involve your whole person, too.

In starting this club to help those in need of transplants, I had to dedicate my time and effort beyond just my physical interactions with these patients. For instance, this involved reaching out to D.C.’s organ procurement organization to inquire about a potential partnership with my club, to which they agreed. In addition, I organized tabling events on campus, which required significant planning and communication with both club members and my university.

Though exciting, starting a club was also a difficult process, especially given the limitations the pandemic imposed on in-person meetings and events. To adapt, I had to plan more engaging meetings, designing virtual activities to make members more comfortable contributing their ideas. In addition, planning a blood drive required extensive communication with my university to ensure the safety of the staff and participants during the pandemic.

Ultimately, I believe these behind-the-scenes actions were instrumental in addressing the need for organ and blood donors in the D.C. area.

From these experiences, I have grown to believe that good medicine not only necessitates the physician cares for her patient as a whole, but also that she fully commits her whole person to the care of the patient. Tutoring and starting D.C. Donors not only allowed me to develop these skills but also to experience such fulfilling emotions: the pride I had in Shaniyah when her math improved, the gratefulness I felt when she confided in me, the steadfast commitment I expressed to transplant patients, and the joy I had in collaborating with other passionate club members.

I envision a career as a physician to demand these skills of me and more, and I have confirmed my desire to become one after feeling so enriched by practicing them.

Here’s what makes this personal statement such a good example of what works:

• Desirable qualities: The student clearly demonstrates qualities any school would want in an applicant: teachability, adaptability, leadership, organization, and empathy, to name a few. This again uses the “show, don’t tell” method, allowing the readers to understand the student without hand-holding.
• Personalized storytelling: Many in the healthcare profession will connect with experiences like the ones expressed here, such as addressing patient concerns relationally or the lack of blood donors during the recent pandemic. The writer automatically makes a personal link between themselves and the admissions committees reading this statement.
• Extensive (but not too long): Without feeling too wordy, this personal statement uses nearly all of the 5,300 characters allowed on the AMCAS application. There’s no fluff left in the final draft, only what matters.

Avoid These Common Mistakes

You can learn a lot from those personal statements. They avoid the most common mistakes that med school applicants make when writing the medical school personal statement.

Here are some things you should avoid in your personal statement if you want to be a doctor:

• Name-dropping: Admissions counselors won’t be impressed when you brag about your highly regarded family members, associates, or mentors. You need to stand on your own feet — not someone else’s.
• Dishonesty: Lies and exaggerations can torpedo your application. And they’re bad habits for anyone entering the medical field. Don’t do it.
• Unedited AI content: Artificial intelligence can help you edit and improve your writing, but don’t let it do the work for you. Your statement needs to be authentic, which means in your voice! A chatbot can’t feel or adequately convey your own empathy, compassion, trauma, drive, or personality.
• Grammatical errors and typos: Have someone reliable proofread your essay and scour it for typos, misspellings, and punctuation errors. Even free grammar-checking apps can catch mistakes!
• Telling without showing: I’ll reiterate how important it is to prove your self-descriptive statements with real-life examples. Telling without showing won’t persuade readers.
• Too many examples: Have 3-4 solid personal stories at most; only include a few that are crucial for providing your points. The more experiences you share, the less impact they’ll make.
• Fluff and filler: Cut all fluff, filler words, and irrelevant points. There are many other places you can include information in your application, such as secondary essays on your clinical experience, volunteer work, and research projects . 

You can find more valuable do’s and don’ts in our in-depth guide to writing your best personal statement .

Need extra help? We’ve got you covered.

Schedule a meeting with medschoolcoach for expert support on writing and editing your personal statement. we’re here to help you impress medical school admissions committees .

Renee Marinelli, MD

Dr. Marinelli has practiced family medicine, served on the University of California Admissions Committee, and has helped hundreds of students get into medical school. She spearheads a team of physician advisors who guide MedSchoolCoach students.

See How We Can Help

Search for:, recent posts, dr. ken tao, medschoolcoach, recent blog posts.

What Medical Schools Accept AP Credits?

AP Credit for Medical School Database Do Medical Schools Accept AP Credit for Pre-Requisite Classes?AP (Advanced Placement) Credits AP credit[...]

October 31, 2021

What Medical Schools Have the Highest Average MCAT Score?

Getting into any US medical school is a huge accomplishment and extremely difficult to do. However, there are some schools[...]

November 28, 2017

Medical Schools in New York

Check our our list of the medical schools in New York to find median GPA and MCAT, and tuition rates[...]

October 31, 2023

The Pre-Med Journey: What it Takes to Get into Medical School

Thinking about applying to medical school? Discover what high school students need to know about obtaining a career in medicine.

Successfully Planning for the USMLE Step 1 and 2 CK

Get ready for the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 with this free guide to study planning and resource utilization.

100 MCAT Study Tips

Taking the MCAT? These 100 tips and tricks will help you ace the MCAT.

Call us at (888) 381-9509

Call Us Now

Or, Schedule a Meeting Below

Happy April Fool’s Day from MedSchoolCoach!

While mastering sleep-learning is still a dream, mcat go helps you study for the mcat while you are awake. listen to mcat go for free (a $99 value) by entering your email below to receive an exclusive discount code. this ain’t no joke..

• Become a Study Centre

Biomedicine: Exemplar Undergraduate Personal Statements to help you focus

Posted: 26.10.2023

• Health and Medicine
• Personal Statement
• University Application

If you are on the journey of applying to universities, crafting a compelling personal statement can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. But fear not; we are here to help you navigate this path more easily. We have curated three exemplary personal statements that serve as shining examples of what universities look for in applicants.  

These personal statements focus on Accounting , Biomedical and Engineering applications and embody quality, clarity, and individuality, compellingly showcasing how to present your academic interests, extracurricular activities, and personal experiences.  

However, it is crucial to remember that these are examples to guide and inspire you, not templates to be copied. Plagiarism is not just unethical, but it also robs you of the opportunity to express your unique story and aspirations authentically. Use these examples as a springboard to dive into your unique narrative. Happy writing!

Biomedical Student  

Born and raised in the bustling city of Shanghai, China, I have always been intrigued by the mysteries of science. Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics have captured my interest, and I am currently studying these subjects alongside English for Academic Purposes (EAP) as part of the NCUK International Foundation Year qualification.  

My fascination with these subjects is rooted in a profound curiosity about the human body and its intricate mechanisms. This curiosity has directed me towards a path to study Biomedical Science in the United Kingdom, a country celebrated for its outstanding education system and pioneering research in Biomedicine.  

The UK’s state-of-the-art research facilities, esteemed faculty, and multicultural student community present an enriching environment for international students like me . I am excited to delve into this vibrant atmosphere and gain an in-depth understanding of Biomedical Science, from examining cellular and molecular processes to investigating disease mechanisms and innovative therapeutic strategies.  

My ultimate career aspiration is to become a Biomedical Scientist in a leading pharmaceutical firm. I see myself participating in ground-breaking research projects, contributing to the development of new drugs or therapies, and playing a role in advancing global health. Earning a degree in Biomedical Science from a prestigious UK university will equip me with the requisite knowledge, skills, and practical experience to achieve this ambition.  

I am enrolled in an EAP course to prepare for studying in the UK. This course effectively equips me with the language proficiency, academic skills, and cultural understanding necessary for success in a UK university. My robust foundation in Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics bolsters my readiness for my chosen field.  

I have sought opportunities to apply my scientific knowledge in practical settings during my educational journey . A notable achievement was winning a Regional Science Prize in Year 10 for my research project. This experience honed my research skills and reaffirmed my passion for Biomedical Science. Furthermore, I have visited various pharmaceutical plants on school excursions, gaining insights into the practical aspects of pharmaceutical production and research.  

Outside my academic pursuits, I find solace in painting, which nurtures my creativity and attention to detail – qualities I believe are essential for a successful Biomedical Scientist.   In conclusion, I am eager and prepared to embark on my academic journey in the UK. I look forward to the challenges and opportunities and can positively contribute to your esteemed university.  

Any questions?

If you have any questions about how to write a compelling personal statement, get in touch with our teams today!

This site uses cookies to improve your experience, read our Cookie Policy here

Alex | Founder of Medfully

Ultimate guide to birmingham medicine interview (2023) - questions & tips, birmingham medical school: overview.

Located in the vibrant midland city of Birmingham, the University of Birmingham Medical School is a fantastic place to study medicine. And the location is just one of many of Birmingham’s assets.

Hundreds of actively working societies and clubs, varied nightlife, Birmingham’s modern campus, cutting-edge research facilities and high student satisfaction all contribute to Birmingham being a great time to study and develop, whilst having a lot of fun.

Pre-interview Selection: 🔢 How does Birmingham select students for interviews (2024 entry)?

GCSEs (45%): Obtained GCSE grades in Maths, English, Biology and Chemistry and 2 extra subjects are scored. These grades are converted into a score using the following system: 8 or 9 = 4 points, 7/A = 2 points, 6/B = 1 point, 5 or below = 0 points. Then, that score is scaled to a maximum of 4.5.

A-level Predicted Grades: Birmingham medical school does not use predicted grades when shortlisting students for interviews, beyond checking if they’ve met the standard entry requirements.

Personal Statement: Not scored, but for your application to be considered, your personal statement must be related to medicine and “offer evidence of commitment to medicine”.

UCAT (35%): Your UCAT score will be converted to a score from 0 to 3.5 (max), based on the decile you fall into. For instance, the top 10% of students who applied for medicine at Birmingham in a given year will get a maximum of 3.5 points, 2nd 10% from the top will get 3.11, 3rd 10% from the top 2.72 and so on. The higher your score, the higher your chances. Birmingham medical school does not consider the SJT score.

Contextual (20%): If you’ve attended one of the schools listed in Birmingham’s contextual schools' list, you’ll receive a score from this element, which will be given 20% weighting.

➗  Calculate Your Chances: Birmingham has come up with a very resourceful calculator tool , which can help you determine your likelihood of receiving an interview invitation at Birmingham Medical School and thus apply strategically. For the 2021 entry, the total score cut off was 7.0, but that may vary from year to year.

🌍  International Students: The selection process for international students applying for medicine at Birmingham slightly differs. GCSE scores are not a part of the selection process beyond checking if you’ve met the minimum entry requirements. Instead, all students are ranked according to their UCAT scores. For more details on the selection process check this link to Birmingham’s official website.

📊 What is the lowest required UCAT score to get an interview at Birmingham Medical School?

🇬🇧  Home Students: Cut off score based on the performance of students who applied to Birmingham in a given year. For 2020 entry, the UCAT cut off at Birmingham was 2830 for non-contextual applications, and 2260 for contextual candidates.

🌍  International Students: For international students, a cut-off score from the cognitive skills test section is calculated each year. For 2020 entry, the threshold score for an interview at Birmingham was 2640.

📈 Want to save yourself some  time, stress and money  preparing for the interview at Birmingham Medical School? Prepare with  Medfully , “the best long-term interview resource”.

📤 When does Birmingham send out interview invitations?

Usually, Birmingham starts sending out interview invitations in early December until the end of January or until all places have been filled.

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 How many candidates get interviewed for Medicine at Birmingham?

🇬🇧  Home Students: For 2022 entry, 2850 students applied from the UK, and out of those 1122 were interviewed (40%). Each year Birmingham aims to interview around 1,100 top students who applied.

🌍  International Students: For 2022 entry, out of 604 international students who applied for medicine at Birmingham, 69 (11%) were interviewed. Places for international students at Birmingham Medical School are capped at 28, which is why the competition is much more intense.

💡 How To Prepare for Medicine Interviews at Birmigham?

Preparing for medical school interviews requires more than just reading an article or doing a mock interview. It requires intentionality, structure and commitment. Luckily, with  Medfully  it is simpler and more efficient than ever:

Interviews at Birmingham Medical School: 🗓️ Birmingham Medicine Interview dates:

Medicine interviews at Birmingham are most likely to take place between January 2024 and February 2024 (for 2024 entry).

Unsuccessful applicants will hear back from Birmingham only once all interviews are completed (most likely in March 2024).

💬 What’s the interview format at Birmingham Medical School?

It is still unknown if Birmingham will conduct medical school interviews online or in-person for 2024 entry. Make sure to check Birmingham’s website regularly for latest updates.

2021 and 2022 entry:

For 2021 and 2022 entry, Birmingham conducted online MMI interviews. Unlike most MMIs, these were short (20-30 minutes in total) and were comprised of just 2, 6-minute stations (plus 2 minutes of downtime before and after each station). One of the stations was a role play and the other assessed your insight into medicine. An online, 10-minute maths test was also a part of the Birmingham medicine interview, but it was usually held on a different day than the MMI

Pre-Covid (2020 entry and before):

Before the pandemic started, medicine interviews at Birmingham were typical MMIs, comprised of 7, 6-minute stations, which included role plays and calculation tasks. You can find more detailed information about the content of the interview here .

🏆 How likely is it I’ll be given an offer after an interview at Birmingham?

🇬🇧  Home Students: For 2022 entry, 1122 interviews finally resulted in 800 offers, so over 70% of those who received the invitation for an interview have received an offer to study medicine at Birmingham!

🌍  International Students: For 2022 entry, 68 interviews finally resulted in 56 offers, so over 80% of international students who received the invitation for an interview have received an offer to study medicine at Birmingham! Once you get the interview invitation from Birmingham, your chances of getting in are very high.

💅 What to do before the interview at Birmingham Medical School?

• read the interview invitation email very carefully, make sure you note down where and when the interview is happening and what you need for the interview
• find and bring your ID to the interview
• increase your confidence and interview knowledge by preparing using  Medfully
• prepare a formal interview outfit in advance, try it on and see if you feel confident and comfortable in it (you can read more about the interview dress code here)
• plan your journey - if you are invited for an in-person interview and have to travel from far away, make sure to arrive in Birmingham a day or two in advance so that you can be fresh on the day of your Birmingham medicine interview

⏳ How long it takes to hear back from Birmingham?

Birmingham usually replies to candidates once all interviews are completed, which is late February / March of the application cycle.

🧠 Birmingham Medicine Interview Questions:

Personal & Ethical Challenges

• A 14-year old boy is rushed into A&E after a car crash. The patient is unconscious and has sustained huge blood loss as a result of the accident. Together with your team, you decide the boy requires an urgent blood transfusion. As you are about to take the boy into the OR, his parents arrive and forbid you to carry on with the blood transfusion on religious grounds. How would you proceed, and what factors should you consider?
• Imagine you are the head of the surgical department in a hospital. There are two patients, A and B, both requiring an urgent liver transplant, but there is only one viable liver. Patient A is a 32-year old social activist, with a drug abuse history. Patient B is a 78-year old woman, who takes care of 3 children, whose parents died in a car accident. How would you allocate the liver and why?
• Approximately 13% of the NHS budget is spent in the last 12 months of patients’ lives and with the ageing population that number is likely to grow in upcoming years. Do you think physician-assisted suicide should be legalised in the UK to reduce the spending on elderly care?
• You are playing basketball in front of your house with a friend. You wanted to pass the ball to them, but they made a dodge and it hit your neighbour's new car instead. As you approach the car you see that the ball caused one of the windows to shatter. You don't know your neighbour very well but heard rumours about him being grumpy and rude. Break the news to your neighbour.
• You are a 3rd-year medical student. Together with a group of your classmates you've been working on a presentation on the impact of different calcium sources on hip fractures in older adults. As you prepare the setup you realise you forgot to save your part of the presentation. In turn, your group's presentation is incomplete. Approach your group leader and discuss the issue with them.
• One of your best friends is hosting her 18th birthday party on Friday evening. It's Thursday evening now. As you advise her on the outfit for tomorrow you realise you are responsible for interviewing with a professor of cardiovascular surgery for members of your medical school's surgical society on Friday at 6 pm. Tell your best friend that you won't be able to attend their party tomorrow.

Motivations For Medicine

• In your personal statement you’ve mentioned that the rapport between doctors and patients really appeals to you and motivates you to pursure medicine. However, as an ICU nurse, I can assure you that the relarionship between nurses and their patients is even stronger, as we get to spend much more time with patients than doctors do. Why did you choose to apply for medicine and not nursing?
• What would you do if you didn’t get in this year?
• Has anyone tried to dissuade you from medicine? If yes, why did you decide to go for it anyways?

Reflection:

• What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
• Why would you make for a good doctor?
• What challenges do medical students typically face and how are you planning to overcome them?

Data Analysis:

• Registering with a free account at medfully.co.uk will give you access to our guide on data-analysis questions (Interview Guide → Miscalleanous → Data Analysis).

Calculations:

• A patient weighing 72kg requires a 75mg dose of Ibunapratosan via an IV drip. You have a 0.1L bag with an Ibunapratosan concentration of 5mg/mL. What volume of fluid from the bag should you give to the patient?
• You went to a local pharmacy to purchase a few drugs for your ill husband. You had to get 3 350ml bottles of syrup, which costs £0.30 per 100ml and 2 packs of pain medication tablets, each containing 3 leaves for £2.50 per leaf. How much did you pay?

🚀  TOP Tip: Have a hard time answering any of the above questions? You’ll find insider tactics to tackle all of the above questions and formulate convincing and structured answers at  Medfully - The Best Medicine Interview Preparation Resource.

Please note that these aren’t questions that have been asked at Birmingham in past years. Publishing such information would be against Birmingham’s policy. The above questions are adjusted for the interview style at Birmingham and are meant to give you a broad sense of the questions you may face. You can find more details about the content of Birmingham medicine interview on their official website .

✅ Birmingham Medical School Interviews: 4 Tips

Don’t Understate The Challenges In Medicine

During the interview, the admissions team at Birmingham will want to see that you have a realistic understanding of what it means to be a doctor. In your answers, make sure to include and appreciate the less glamorous side of medicine too; the physical and emotional day-to-day challenges, long training etc.

At the same time, show that you are not only aware of the challenges, but are keen to apply yourself to them and are resilient enough to persevere.

Train Your Mental Maths:

An MMI station assessing your mathematical abilities has always been a part of the Birmingham medicine MMI. Although the stations are meant to be at “GCSE level and below”, the interview stress or clinical relevance of the questions won’t work in your favour. Therefore, it’s best if you dedicate some time to refresh your mathematical knowledge and do a few exercises, until you feel like such calculations aren’t a challenge to you.

You can find a couple of sample calculation questions in our interview question list , but the UCAT quantitative reasoning questions are also a good practise resource.

Prepare For A Role Play:

Role-plays are practically guaranteed to come up in your medicine interview at Birmingham. Role play stations are some of the most challenging MMI stations, as they require you not only to demonstrate knowledge and insight but also skills and qualities. Not only that, most students find role plays hardest to prepare for.

Make sure you dedicate time to practising role-plays with your friends and family until you get comfortable and confident performing them. Spending a few pounds on a couple sessions with a private tutor, just dedicated to practising role plays, may make a significant difference to your confidence and role-playing abilities.

Know the GMC’s Good Medical Practise Guidelines Inside Out

The NHS Constitution and GMC’s Good Medical Practice are not only a great insight into doctors’ work in the NHS but are also among the pre-interview reading advised by Birmingham.

The NHS Constitution outlines what the patients and staff working in the NHS can expect from the NHS and what the NHS expects in return.

GMC’s Good Medical Practice  sets out guidelines for doctors working in the NHS and will help you understand what it means to be a “good doctor”. These documents aren’t the easiest reads, but they may come in handy for your interviews. Reading them carefully and analytically will certainly help you with answering questions about medical ethics and role play’s at Birmingham and beyond.

🤞 Good luck with preparing for the Birmingham Medicine interview! Fingers crossed!

Related Blogs

Ultimate Guide to UCLan Medicine Interview: Questions & Tips (2023)

Ultimate Guide: Nottingham Medicine Interview | Questions & Tips (2023)

Ultimate Guide: Edinburgh Medicine Interview | Questions & Tips (2023)

Make your interview preparation structured ,fun & affordable, prepare to ace your interviews with medfully, the best all-in-one interview preparation tool.

Copyright ©Medfully 2024. All rights reserved.

✨ Get a Cheeky Discount Below ✨

Choose your plan below:.

• UCAS Guide >
• Personal Statement >

Personal Statement: Introduction

Starting your personal statement off is often one of the hardest parts of writing your personal statement. You may have already got the body of your text written, but it’s that tricky opener that many students struggle with. That’s why we have listed our top tips below:

1. Why are you interested in medicine?   

It is important to start with what has drawn you to medicine or science. After all, that is the main focus of your whole personal statement. 

2. Focus on why medicine as a degree or profession? 

Think about why you want to do medicine. Not what interests you, but why do you want to do it? Is it the rewarding career? Is it the academic challenge? It is important not to focus on your skills or activities at this point, as that comes into the main body of your personal statement. 

3. Writing Style  

This has to be captivating and engaging. Remember you want to grip the reader immediately. Think of the admissions staff reading your personal statement, they have probably at this point read hundreds, so you need to make it interesting and engaging to keep their attention and separate yours from every other applicants. 

4. Give examples   

If it was science for example that sparked your interest in medicine give an example of what it was. Such as: “From an early age I have been fascinated by the workings of life. The human body is a remarkable machine with many diverse systems producing an organism that could never be artificially reproduced”. This is much more insightful that just saying “I have always been interested in the workings of the human body”.

Frequently Asked Question

→what is a personal statement introduction.

A personal statement introduction is the opening paragraph of your personal statement. It is an opportunity to grab the reader’s attention, provide context for your application, and set the tone for the rest of your statement.

→What should I include in my personal statement introduction?

In your personal statement introduction, you should introduce yourself and provide some background information about your academic and professional experiences. You may also want to discuss your motivation for pursuing your chosen field of study and highlight any relevant achievements or accomplishments.

→What are some tips for writing a strong personal statement introduction?

To write a strong personal statement introduction, you should focus on capturing the reader’s attention and providing a clear and compelling introduction to your application. You should also be sure to tailor your introduction to the specific program or institution you are applying to, and avoid using clichés or generic statements.

→Can I use a quote or anecdote in my personal statement introduction?

Yes, using a quote or anecdote can be a great way to grab the reader’s attention and add some personality to your personal statement. However, it is important to ensure that any quote or anecdote is relevant to your application and helps to support your overall message.

→How important is the personal statement introduction?

The personal statement introduction is an important part of your personal statement and can significantly impact the reader’s impression of you as an applicant. A strong introduction can grab the reader’s attention and set the tone for a compelling and well-crafted personal statement.

Cancel reply

• Personal Statement: Extra-Curricular Activities
• Personal Statement: Academic Interest
• How do I Structure my Personal Statement?

Related Articles

Related links.

• FREE GAMSAT Questions
• GAMSAT E-Book
• GAMSAT Question Bank

Personalised 1-1 private lessons, tailored to your GAMSAT needs

With over 1000 GAMSAT questions, worked examples and mock run-throughs - your complete GAMSAT course!

Prepare for the GAMSAT with a full day of expert GAMSAT tuition, learning the tips and tricks to boost your score to the maximum.

Please provide the mobile number of a guardian/parent

If you're ready and keen to get started click the button below to book your first 2 hour 1-1 tutoring lesson with us. Connect with a tutor from a university of your choice in minutes. (Use FAST5 to get 5% Off!)

Username or email  *

Password  *

Forgotten password?

[email protected]

+44 (0)20 8834 4579

How Universities Use Your Medicine Personal Statement

Check our table to see how every Medical School uses your Personal Statement - and find out which ones place a strong emphasis on this part of your application.

Med Schools And Personal Statements

• Find out how Med Schools use Personal Statements
• Learn why it’s important to understand this
• See every Med School’s Personal Statement policy

Jump to Section

• Deciding on Medicine
• Work Experience
• Choosing a Medical School

Medicine Personal Statement Examples

• How Medical Schools Use Your Personal Statement
• How to Structure a Personal Statement
• How to Write a Personal Statement
• Personal Statement Review Service
• Interview Guide
• Interview Questions
• NHS Hot Topics
• Medical Ethics
• Graduate Entry
• Studying Abroad
• Study Medicine Abroad In Europe
• Studying Abroad in the USA
• Study Abroad in Ireland
• Study Medicine In The Caribbean
• Study Medicine in Australia
• Study Abroad in Hong Kong
• How To Survive Your First Year Of Med School
• Science Hot Topics
• Veterinary Medicine
• Allied Health
• Physician Associate
• The NHS Guide
• Parents’ Guide

You need to understand how universities use your Medicine Personal Statement because you’ll need to know whether it can make – or break – your UCAS application .

How Do Med Schools Use Personal Statements?

In general, there are five main ways that your Personal Statement could be used by Medical Schools:

• Not used in any part of the selection process at all
• Read but not assessed
• To shortlist candidates to invite to interview
• To form the basis of questions at interview
• To help decide between two candidates who are otherwise equally tied

For example, Brighton and Sussex say they will not use your Personal Statement in the selection process – whereas others, like King’s College London , will look at it when considering applicants to shortlist for interview.

Make Sure You Stand Out

Get The Best Personal Statement Advice

Why Do I Need to Know This?

It’s important that you know how your target Medical Schools will use your Personal Statement, so you can decide how much effort to put into it.

For example, if you’re applying to universities that won’t use the Personal Statement for shortlisting candidates at all, you may be wiser to dedicate more time to preparing for the UCAT or BMAT . Likewise, if you’re applying to universities that place a greater emphasis on your Personal Statement for Medicine, you’ll need to really scrutinise how you structure and how you write your Personal Statement to boost your chances.

How Every Med School Uses Personal Statements

This table sums up what Medical Schools are currently saying about how they will use your Personal Statement. For more detail, and for the most up-to-date information, make sure you check their websites directly.

Once you understand how your Personal Statement for Medicine will be used, it’s time to start planning it to ensure your application is as strong as possible.

UCAS Preparation

UCAS Application Packages

Boost your Medicine application with specialist support for navigating UCAS - and save 15% when you book a package!

Personal Statement Review

Get your Personal Statement reviewed by a Medical School Admissions Tutor or high-flying medic. You'll receive detailed feedback in just a few days - with clear action points on how to improve.

Personal Statement Tutoring

Impress Admissions Tutors at top Medical Schools, avoid common mistakes and make your Personal Statement shine with tutoring.

Join Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list for weekly updates and tips on how to get into Medicine.

How To Structure Your Medicine Personal Statement

Loading More Content

Example Personal Statement - Birmingham, Cardiff, Southampton

We are medics.

Read more posts by this author.

This personal statement was used by a current medical student to apply to medical school at: the University of Birmingham, the University of Southampton, Cardiff University, and the University of Bristol. The application cycle was 2016 entry. The applicant received interview offers at Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff. The personal statement scored poorly at Bristol.

Feedback from Bristol: "You scored well on demonstrating a wide range of interests but less well on showing that you have a realistic interest in a career in Medicine.

Your overall score was 72.43% and the threshold to be invited for interview was 77.09%."

Clearly, this personal statement is not 'perfect' - but none ever will be! Each medical school is looking for something different. Be careful not to plagiarise personal statements you read online - UCAS will detect this.

Personal statement (642 words)

3.5 million people in the UK affected by type 2 diabetes, and 2.3 million people in the UK affected by coronary heart disease. Studying diseases like these in Biology has fuelled my interest in health and disease, motivating me to study Medicine. I have also enjoyed linking theoretical chemistry to its applications in health, such as enantiomers and drugs. My enthusiasm for medicine is driven by my interest in health related science and by the fulfilment of ultimately using my knowledge to improve the lives of others.

To begin to appreciate the diversity of the medical profession, I spent a day shadowing a research doctor investigating a new tuberculosis vaccine. Watching the clinical trials helped me to appreciate the importance of putting patients at ease, so they were more likely to confide in their doctor. Later, whilst shadowing a knee surgeon for four days, I witnessed the importance of decision-making, as every patient has different expectations for their recovery. I found it fascinating how patients with similar injuries could be treated differently with either surgery or physiotherapy. Attending several medical career days also demonstrated to me how, as a doctor, I would not be able to cure every patient and that I would have to develop the resilience to deal with this.

Shadowing a GP for a week introduced me to the holistic approach to patient care, as patients often rely on their GP for emotional support as well as diagnosis and treatment. It was moving to see how the empathy and emotional support of the doctor encouraged a patient with sleeping issues to open up about her previous struggles with depression. This was important as it allowed the doctor to discuss her ‘normal’ test results with sensitivity, aware that the patient was probably suffering with depression again, rather than any other condition. Additionally, volunteering weekly for seven months with adults with learning disabilities has been hugely rewarding, enabling me to better understand the impacts of lifelong impairment, and the necessity for lifelong living support.

When studying coronary heart disease and its risk factors in Biology I was particularly interested in the link between diet and health, so I was excited to attend a lecture on the importance of milk in our diet. The link between the cultural shifts in diet and the response of the medical profession especially interested me. I then further explored this idea in the Student BMJ, where the link between sugary drinks and type 2 diabetes was discussed and the possible public health responses considered.

Whilst reading 'Bad Science' I found Ben Goldacre's discussion of homeopathy's efficacy and its link to the placebo effect very engaging; this led me to consider whether an ethical placebo would ever be possible.

To maintain a healthy work-life balance I participate in the debate club at school, finding that debating alleviates stress as well as developing my reasoning skills. At home, cycling in the local forest helps to clear my mind. Through my roles as a prefect for Year 7 and as a Young Leader for three years at Brownies, I have developed my leadership and communication styles by adapting them to different audiences. My involvement in Young Enterprise and organising prom has demonstrated the difficulties of decision-making within a team and how sometimes compromise is crucial. This August, I was thrilled to represent the UK in Japan at the World Scout Jamboree alongside 34,000 young people. Preparing for this by fundraising £3250 and attending training weekends has taught me exceptional time-management and organisation skills.

I believe I have the determination and commitment, together with the academic capability required for medicine. The prospect of a career in medicine excites me and I am ready to embrace the challenges it presents, in particular the lifelong learning. Most importantly, I am looking forward to making a real difference in the lives of others.

• Applying to Uni
• Apprenticeships
• Health & Relationships
• Money & Finance

Personal Statements

• Postgraduate
• U.S Universities

University Interviews

• Vocational Qualifications
• Accommodation
• ​​​​​​​Budgeting, Money & Finance
• ​​​​​​​Health & Relationships
• ​​​​​​​Jobs & Careers
• ​​​​​​​Socialising

Studying Abroad

• ​​​​​​​Studying & Revision
• ​​​​​​​Technology
• ​​​​​​​University & College Admissions

Guide to GCSE Results Day

Finding a job after school or college

Retaking GCSEs

In this section

Choosing GCSE Subjects

Post-GCSE Options

GCSE Work Experience

GCSE Revision Tips

Why take an Apprenticeship?

Applying for an Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships Interviews

Apprenticeship Wage

Engineering Apprenticeships

What is an Apprenticeship?

Choosing an Apprenticeship

Real Life Apprentices

Degree Apprenticeships

Higher Apprenticeships

A Level Results Day 2024

AS Levels 2024

Clearing Guide 2024

Applying to University

SQA Results Day Guide 2024

BTEC Results Day Guide

Vocational Qualifications Guide

Sixth Form or College

International Baccalaureate

Post 18 options

Finding a Job

Should I take a Gap Year?

Travel Planning

Volunteering

Gap Year Blogs

Applying to Oxbridge

Applying to US Universities

Choosing a Degree

Choosing a University or College

Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Guide to Freshers' Week

Student Guides

Student Cooking

Student Blogs

• Top Rated Personal Statements

Personal Statement Examples

Writing Your Personal Statement

• Postgraduate Personal Statements
• International Student Personal Statements
• Gap Year Personal Statements

Personal Statement Length Checker

Personal Statement Examples By University

Personal Statement Changes 2025

Personal Statement Template

Job Interviews

Types of Postgraduate Course

Writing a Postgraduate Personal Statement

Postgraduate Funding

Postgraduate Study

Internships

Choosing A College

Ivy League Universities

Common App Essay Examples

Universal College Application Guide

How To Write A College Admissions Essay

College Rankings

Admissions Tests

Fees & Funding

Scholarships

Budgeting For College

Online Degree

Platinum Express Editing and Review Service

Gold Editing and Review Service

Silver Express Editing and Review Service

UCAS Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Oxbridge Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Postgraduate Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

You are here

• Mature Student Personal Statements
• Aberystwyth
• Anglia Polytechnic University
• Bath Spa University College
• Bournemouth University
• British College of Osteopathic Medicine
• British School of Osteopathy
• Canterbury Christ Church University College
• Central School of Speech and Drama
• Chester A College of The University of Liverpool
• City College Manchester
• Coventry University
• De Montfort University
• Edge Hill College of Higher Education
• Falmouth University
• Farnborough College of Technology
• Glamorgan Centre for Art and Design Technology
• Glasgow Caledonian University
• Goldsmiths College
• Heriot-watt
• Heythrop College
• King's College
• Kingston University
• Leeds Metropolitan University
• Liverpool Hope
• Liverpool John Moores University
• London Metropolitan University
• London South Bank University
• Loughborough
• Loughborough College
• Middlesex University
• Napier University, Edinburgh
• Newcastle College
• Northumbria University
• Nottingham Trent
• Oxford Brookes
• Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh
• Queen's, Belfast
• Regents Business School London
• Roehampton University of Surrey
• Royal Holloway
• Royal Veterinary College
• Sheffield Hallam University
• Southampton
• Southampton Institute
• St George's Hospital Medical School
• St Mary's University College
• Staffordshire University
• Strathclyde
• Swansea Institute of Higher Education
• Thames Valley University
• The Arts Institute At Bournemouth
• The Glasgow School of Art
• The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts
• The London Institute
• The Manchester Metropolitan University
• The North East Wales Institute of Higher Education
• The Robert Gordon University
• The Surrey Institute of Art and Design
• The University of Bradford
• The University of Buckingham
• The University of Gloucestershire
• The University of Huddersfield
• The University of Salford
• University College Northampton
• University College Worcester
• University of Abertay Dundee
• University of Brighton
• University of Central Lancashire
• University of Derby
• University of East London
• University of Glamorgan
• University of Greenwich
• University of Hertfordshire
• University of Lincoln
• University of Plymouth
• University of Portsmouth
• University of Sunderland
• University of Teesside
• University of The West of England, Bristol
• University of Ulster
• University of Wales College, Newport
• University of Wales Institute, Cardiff
• University of Wales, Bangor
• University of Westminster
• University of Wolverhampton
• Writtle College
• York St John College
• Personal Statement Editing Service
• Personal Statement Writing Guide
• Submit Your Personal Statement
• Personal Statement Questions 2025
• Personal Statement Changes 2024

Birmingham University Personal Statements

These UCAS personal statements have been kindly provided by students applying to The University of Birmingham. You can click on one of the links below to view the entire statement and find out if the applicant was offered a place.

You can also view our entire collection of personal statements or view personal statements for application at other universities .

Computer Science Personal Statement Example 4 I find it amazing to watch as the digital revolution sculpts society at a rate that has never before been seen; there is so much to still be discovered. Quantum computing is a topic that particularly interests me, stemming from my studies and keen interest in physics...

Mechanical/Electrical Engineering Personal Statement Example I have always been fascinated by the vast jobs robots are able to perform, and by the way all these cars around us were designed. The problem is, my interest was not satisfied by revolving around the outer appearance of these machines or by how well they achieved their functions, but was constantly demanding to learn more about how they managed to do so, and what inner complexities I was not allowed to meet closely made it capable of attracting my attention...

History and Economic History Personal Statement Example Studying History at degree level has been my interest since my first ever history lesson in High School, for it is a subject that invites debate and feeds my inquisitive side. I have always been intrigued by what has happened before us and how it has led to where we are now...

Psychology Personal Statement Example 6 It was the odd behavioural traits displayed by my uncle, who has Asperger’s syndrome that first generated from a young age my questioning about why he acted so ‘differently’ to the rest of us. This was part of what led to my interest of studying psychology, as it made me question how and why humans are so disparate from one another, and what part the brain plays in running our everyday lives...

Politics & International Relations Personal Statement Example 2 It was November 1989. My parents were rattling their keys in the main square of Bratislava with other Czechoslovak youngsters asking for the democracy that was denied by the Communist regime. They raised me in an environment, where appreciation of freedom, expressing my thoughts and being an active citizen have been essential...

Economics and Politics Personal Statement Example 1 "I killed the bank": the last words of Andrew Jackson, former president of the US, after he had vetoed to renew the charter and withdraw all federal deposits from banks causing them to bust. Real money was backed with gold shortly after, causing the greatest economic boom in history for the US where no income tax was implemented...

Economics & International Relations Personal Statement Example Growing up in a deteriorating global economic climate I have come to appreciate the extent to which economics influences the relationships between nations, and the importance of competent macroeconomic management...

Psychology Personal Statement Example 9 There are very few things that are as interesting yet as confusing as the unique enigma that is the human brain. Our diverse behaviours and our intricate personalities that make us who we are must have a cause...

Biology Personal Statement Example 5 Outside was always my favourite place as a child, splashing in puddles, inspecting insects under magnifying glasses and having snail races with my brothers. The living world fascinated me. My enthusiasm has only increased over the years and living by the sea has inspired me further...

Geography Personal Statement Example 1 At first glance, my A Level choices appear scientifically biased, but they underpin key topics studied in Geography. I enjoy investigating the theories of global economies, population and poverty. The mathematics I have studied enables me to manipulate raw data meaningfully...

Biochemistry Personal Statement Example 1 The need to survive is a remarkable thing, for it has allowed evolution to equip organisms with a range of extraordinary capabilities in order to stay alive. Since reading 'Why Geese Don't Get Obese' by Widmaier, my interests have developed in the molecular adaptations of animals; for example, the antifreeze protein that prevents the blood of Antarctic Notothenioid fishes from turning into ice...

English Literature Personal Statement Example 3 When I was seven years old, I first read 'Twist of Gold' by Michael Morpurgo. When reading the book I was captivated by the absorbing plot, beguiling characters and incredibly vivid imagery. Since that time, I have been a passionate reader, particularly admiring the fluidity and profound depth of character and emotion that can be found in work by authors such as Sylvia Plath and Doris Lessing...

Business Studies Personal Statement Example 1 Business is not just about figures and charts, it would be nothing without the people driving it forward. Therefore the part of the Business Studies’ A-level that has inspired me the most has been Human Resource Management...

English and Philosophy Personal Statement Example English has always been at the forefront of my mind, whether it be writing storybooks as a child, play-writing as a teen, or analysing literature at A Level. I enjoy the thrill of writing creatively but equally enjoy composing non-literary pieces where I can put across my views, inform or debate...

Physiology and Medical Sciences Personal Statement Example The human body is arguably the most complex life form that has ever existed. Studying how the body works helps us to comprehend the many processes that maintain health and find better treatment for diseases...

Biomedical Engineering Personal Statement Example 2 Thanks to my mother's profession, I have had a front row seat in observing the radical changes made in the medical field with the introduction of new devices. I have also seen the beneficial effects these developments have had on the lives of people living in the less affluent countries in the Middle East; these observations coupled with my interest in mechanics have inspired me to pursue a career in biomedical engineering...

Postgraduate Medicine Personal Statement Example Quite simply it is my curious nature which has always underpinned my desire to study medicine; the sheer complexity of both the human body and its healing processes have always fascinated me and, during my time in 6th form and subsequently while studying for my BSc...

Medicine Personal Statement Example 43 The ever-evolving nature of medical science and the certainty that we will know more about the many different healthcare practices has inspired me to pursue a career in medicine. My dedication to studying medicine has been confirmed by the experience I have gained in different hospitals and practices and I look forward to the academic discipline and challenges that will arise...

Economics Personal Statement Example 22 After Brazil, Nepal has the largest potential for the generation of hydro electricity. It is estimated that the perennial rivers of Nepal can generate up to a massive 83,000 Mega Watts of electricity. If utilized efficiently, Nepal has the potential of becoming one of the largest exporters of electricity in the world...

English Personal Statement Example 26 Growing up reading Roald Dahl, I saw elements of myself in Matilda, as ever since I can remember, I have loved reading. My passion for English could be seen by those around me, as a child, having taught myself to read and write by the time I was 4 years old, and there was never any doubt that I would go on to pursue a career in English...

Medicine Personal Statement Example 53 I have asked myself many times what it takes to be a great doctor, but like many questions there is never a straight answer. Keeping an open mind with regards to my career has meant that I have been able to pinpoint the one field which has fascinated me unlike any other, medicine...

Early Childhood Studies Personal Statement Example 5 Ever since I could remember I have always wanted to play a big part in children’s education. As I was growing up I could see children of my age in Africa struggling to go to school because of their circumstances...

English Literature & Spanish Personal Statement Example For me, the most captivating part of English literature is the way great writers are able to influence the reader's imagination through the manipulation of language. The A-level topic of World War One literature was especially affecting because it showed me the importance of world events and their effect on contemporary literature that still inspires us today...

Physics Personal Statement Example 10 My fascination for how things work is something that has always been a part of me. Why am I pulled back towards the ground when I jump? How can an airplane that weighs so much fly? In later years I learned that these questions, these as I thought to be unexplainable phenomena, could all be answered through Physics...

International Business Personal Statement Example 2 The motivation behind my decision to gain a Business Degree lies in my determination to better understand how the real world works. I particularly enjoy the way that business blends in with everyday issues...

Civil Engineering Personal Statement Example 15 From a young age, I have been fascinated by engineering, the built environment and the way machines work to aid everyday life. The concept of combining maths, physics and logic to find innovative solutions to problems really interests me and this is what attracts me to engineering...

Mechanical Engineering Personal Statement Example 16 Being born as a son to two former engineers, I was raised in an environment where curiosity is treasured and nurtured. It wasn't surprising that as I became older, my fascination towards science and technology also grew along with me...

Accounting and Finance Personal Statement Example 7 For me Accounting is something I am incredibly passionate about. From a young age I have always enjoyed Mathematics and problem solving; fortunately for me these two interests of mine are a part of the fundamentals of Accounting and Finance...

Medicine Personal Statement Example 62 When two, I suffered a large third degree burn on my chest. Living in a small town in Romania, I was not able to get appropriate treatment, so I grew up with complexes about the aesthetical appearance of the scar...

Economics Personal Statement Example 27 When asked 'Why do you want to study economics?' I have always struggled to find a concise answer. There are so many reasons why I would want to study the subject, and this made explaining such an answer quite difficult...

German Personal Statement Example 7 The study of language has always been appealing and is the focus of much of my time and energy, but the study of the German language is what mesmerises me most. Before understanding German I was first intrigued by its sound, and as I began to learn it, I became fascinated by its complexity...

History Personal Statement Example 43 I have always wanted to be part of an open-minded society and live in a country where originality is rewarded, so the UK came to my mind as being the best country to read my degree. My passion for the English language has developed over years of studying English at school, where I have been successful in every written and oral exam...

Mathematics & Computer Science Personal Statement Example I have found mathematics a fascinating subject since my early years. I enjoy it as it is challenging and logical. I am particularly interested in decision mathematics as it is a field that is directly related to real-life applications of mathematics and can be used to solve problems, such as finding the optimal solution for transporting materials from one place to another while minimising the cost...

Psychology Personal Statement Example 67 I first became interested in psychology whilst discussing the underlying causes of criminal behaviour and non-conformity with my father. The nature-nurture debate gave me a huge desire to increase my knowledge and understanding of the human condition...

Law Personal Statement Example 83 Currently I study English language, history and law. Out of the three I find law the most fascinating because it is the foundation of anything that occurs in society. Learning about how decisions are made in law, the constant arguments to reach a fair judgement and the on-going evolution of the law to adapt to society makes me enthusiastic to learn more...

Sociology and Anthropology Personal Statement Example 2 One of the main reasons why Sociology is of interest to me is that it studies the differences among social groups and in the society around us. I believe it is essential to understand how society works in order to blend with it and be a part of it...

Chemical Engineering Personal Statement Example 11 Whilst at a local canal festival, I saw a hydrogen powered barge which intrigued me. I thought that this was my first experience of chemical engineering, until I researched what this field encompassed...

Film Production Personal Statement Example “You shouldn’t dream your film, you should make it” - A famous quote by Steven Spielberg and a quote that I strongly agree with. I have enjoyed this BTEC Media Diploma course so much because I believe film gives everyone the ability to become imaginative which is a valuable skill in life; it can also be very influential to a lot of people and can change people’s opinions...

Politics & Social Policy Personal Statement Example The ever-changing nature and diversity of politics is fascinating. The rapid social and political development in Russia in the early 2000s, still surrounded by the left-overs, if not quite the toppled statues of the previous socialist regime, kindled my interest in politics...

Philosophy Personal Statement Example 15 The way philosophy can challenge our assumptions will never cease to astound me. I particularly remember my first lesson on Descartes, where I was asked to prove that I knew the room around me was real...

Computer Science Personal Statement Example 58 I could tell you why am interested in computer science until the cows come home, but to give you the fundamentals I would so passionately tell you that this course is one of the few disciplines which truly embodies the days of tomorrow...

• University specific personal statements
• All personal statements

• Anniston/Gadsden

Alabama hospital goes hybrid as Birmingham doctors treat ICU patients 100 miles away

• Published: Jun. 23, 2024, 8:01 a.m.
• Amy Yurkanin | [email protected]

Charles Webb survived three strokes two years earlier and began struggling to breathe on June 14. His wife, Mary Webb, called the ambulance to their home in rural west Alabama.

But the closest hospital with critical care pulmonologists were more than one hour away.

Instead of making the long drive to Birmingham or Tuscaloosa, the ambulance quickly arrived at Whitfield Regional Hospital in Demopolis. At the hospital, a team of doctors and nurses placed Charles Webb on the ventilator and monitors that sent all his physical information to critical care nurses at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Whitfield Regional has a new partnership with UAB to care for critically ill patients, said Whitfield CEO Doug Brewer. And that means teaming up with ICU doctors in Birmingham to increase options in west Alabama. It’s UAB’s first tele-ICU program.

“It helps us raise our game arguably,” he said, “to the same exact level of care that patients in downtown Birmingham in a high level of acute care at UAB are receiving.”

A hybrid team of on-site doctors and remote specialists have been handling Webb’s care ever since. They removed the ventilator on Monday. Hs condition has improved, Mary Webb said.

“He’s still got a ways to go, but every day seem to be gradually getting better,” Mary Webb said. “He’s off the vent and today is the day that he’s been sleeping all day.”

Whitfield’s tele-health program started when doctors began using video carts to conference with specialists from UAB. Now patients admitted to the ICU have their physical information automatically transmitted to Birmingham, where nurses watch for changes in their condition. Specialists in kidney care, neurology and pulmonology can also review the data and offer treatment recommendations to the team in Demopolis.

“Critical care pulmonologist and the nephrologist can look at these ICU patients literally around the clock,” Brewer said.

Similar programs exist to help fill needs in rural parts of North Carolina, Massachusetts and Alaska.

The program requires collaboration between doctors and nurses on site and those working remotely from Birmingham. said Dr. William Stigler, director of UAB E-Medicine Critical Care.

“When oxygen levels are dropping, when blood pressure levels are dropping, we can jump in the room on a camera and access their chart and help the nurses manage that patient and communicate what we are doing to the physicians on site,” Stigler said.

At Whitfield Regional, it began to take shape during the COVID pandemic, when large hospitals filled with critically ill patients. The smaller, rural hospital stepped up and cared for more than 1,500 patients with COVID, including 500 who needed ventilators, Brewer said.

Now that the pandemic has ebbed, the advances in telehealth at the hospital have been benefiting patients with other serious conditions. Brewer said all suspected stroke patients would have had to seek care elsewhere prior to the partnership with UAB. Now the hospital can keep most of them in town for diagnosis and treatment.

It’s beneficial to patients and their families.

“One of the biggest benefits is that patients can get care close to home,” Stigler said. “It’s not one of those things that you always see reported in the medical literature, but that’s really important for family to be able to visit.”

Dereck Morrison, chief operating officer for Whitfield Regional Hospital, cited the case of a patient with a suspected stroke. Doctors in Demopolis and Birmingham worked together to diagnose dementia and a urinary tract infection that could be treated at Whitfield Regional Hospital.

Before the tele-health program, that patient would have been sent to a larger city. And her daughter, a local teacher, would have had to take her, Morrison said.

“She would have had to find someone to work for her the next day,” Morrison said. “She would have to make arrangements for the childcare for her kids. She would have had to travel to Birmingham and find a place to stay. So, the economic impact not only affects that patient, it effects the family as a whole.”

Demopolis and Alabama have high rates of very sick patients who often need special care for kidney or health failure during medical emergencies. Brewer said rural hospitals must increase their capacity to care for people with diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other conditions that are common in the South.

By keeping those patients in the community, they can help connect them with education programs and local doctors to keep them healthy.

Charles Webb has been able to heal with family nearby. Mary Webb lost some of her vision and can not drive. Since he is being treated locally, she has been able to visit, along with his sons and even his 94-year-old mother.

She has been at his bedside when doctors from UAB have been on video. She has been able to ask questions and talk to his treatment team.

“It’s working great, I think,” Mary Webb said. “I like having two opinions.”

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• Correspondence
• Published: 25 June 2024

Long COVID research in minority ethnic populations may be lost in translation

• Kamlesh Khunti   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2343-7099 1 , 2 ,
• Amitava Banerjee   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-8741-3411 3 , 4 ,
• Rachael A. Evans   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1667-868X 4 , 5 &
• Melanie Calvert   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1856-837X 6 , 7 , 8 , 9  

Nature Medicine ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

• Disease prevention
• Epidemiology

SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to multiorgan systemic damage and prolonged symptoms over many weeks and months, a condition known as long COVID or post-COVID syndrome or condition. Certain populations, such as older people, those with chronic comorbidities and severe infections, socioeconomically deprived populations, and minority ethnic populations, have been disproportionately affected by acute COVID-19. A plethora of studies into long COVID have been published over the past three years, including several systematic reviews. However, data on long COVID in minority ethnic groups and across intersectional analysis are lacking. Where data have been reported, inconsistent estimates for the prevalence of long COVID have been reported. Furthermore, most published data are from high-income countries, that either fail to report demographic information or are not representative of the general population. Data from low-income countries for comparison of long COVID rates and symptoms are lacking.

One large UK analysis of ten longitudinal studies reported that overall odds of long COVID symptoms lasting more than four weeks was significantly lower in south Asian and Black populations compared to white populations 1 . By contrast, a large Danish nationwide cohort study using routine data suggested that people from minority ethnic groups from North Africa, Middle East, Eastern Europe and Asia had significantly greater risk of long COVID compared to ‘native Danes’ (participants originating and/or born in Denmark) 2 .

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals

Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription

24,99 € / 30 days

cancel any time

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 12 print issues and online access

195,33 € per year

only 16,28 € per issue

Buy this article

• Purchase on Springer Link
• Instant access to full article PDF

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Thompson, E. J. et al. Nat. Commun. 13 , 3528 (2022).

Article   CAS   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Mkoma, G. F. et al. PLoS Med. 21 , e1004280 (2024).

Article   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Xie, Y., Bowe, B. & Al-Aly, Z. Nat. Commun. 12 , 6571 (2021).

Khullar, D. et al. J. Gen. Intern. Med. 38 , 1127–1136 (2023).

Jacobs, M. M., Evans, E. & Ellis, C. J. Natl Med. Assoc. 115 , 233–243 (2023).

PubMed   Google Scholar  

Palmer, B. et al. Rheumatology 46 , 1009–1014 (2007).

Article   CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Evangelidou, S. et al. Cultur. Divers. Ethnic Minor. Psychol. 26 , 557–569 (2020).

Bauer, A. M., Chen, C. N. & Alegria, M. Gen. Hosp. Psychiatry 34 , 323–331 (2012).

Subramanian, A. et al. Nat. Med. 28 , 1706–1714 (2022).

Patel, N. et al. J. Diabetes Res. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/8107108 (2016).

Download references

Acknowledgements

K.K. is supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration East Midlands (ARC EM) and the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). A.B. has received research funding from the NIHR, European Union, British Medical Association and Astra Zeneca. M.C. is director of the Birmingham Health Partners Centre for Regulatory Science and Innovation, director of the Centre for Patient Reported Outcomes Research, and is an NIHR senior investigator. M.C. receives funding from the NIHR, UK Research and Innovation, NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, Applied Research Collaboration West Midlands, and the NIHR Birmingham-Oxford Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Precision Transplant and Cellular Therapeutics.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Diabetes Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

Kamlesh Khunti

NIHR Applied Research Collaboration, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

Institute of Health Informatics, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, University College London, London, UK

Amitava Banerjee

Department of Cardiology, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK

Amitava Banerjee & Rachael A. Evans

Department of Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

Rachael A. Evans

NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, Respiratory Department, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK

Melanie Calvert

Centre for Patient Reported Outcomes Research, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre and NIHR Applied Research Collaboration West Midlands, University Hospital Birmingham and University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

Birmingham Health Partners Centre for Regulatory Science and Innovation, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kamlesh Khunti .

Ethics declarations

Competing interests.

K.K. was chair of the ethnicity subgroup of the UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), and has acted as a consultant, speaker or received grants for investigator-initiated studies from Astra Zeneca and Pfizer. A.B. has acted as a consultant or speaker for Astra Zeneca, Pfizer and Shionogi and investigator-initiated studies from Astra Zeneca. M.C. has received funding from the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Macmillan Cancer Support, UCB Pharma, Janssen, GSK, Gilead Sciences, European Commission, European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, and the Brain Tumour Charity; personal fees from Aparito, CIS Oncology, Halfloop, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Daiichi Sankyo, Glaukos, GSK, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Genentech and Vertex Pharmaceuticals outside the submitted work; in addition, a family member owns shares in GSK. M.C. is codeveloper of the ‘Symptom Burden Questionnaire for Long COVID’. K.K. (chair), A.B. R.A.E. and M.C. are members of the National Long Covid Research Group that informs the chief medical officer for England.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Khunti, K., Banerjee, A., Evans, R.A. et al. Long COVID research in minority ethnic populations may be lost in translation. Nat Med (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03070-y

Download citation

Published : 25 June 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03070-y

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Column: Overcoming America’s past is everyone’s responsibility

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

It’s been nearly 10 years since my cousin Ingrid Scott-Weekley passed away from cancer. She was a remarkable woman who taught me a lot about race in America. One of her most important lessons? Overcoming America’s past is everyone’s responsibility.

Recognizing Juneteenth is a small yet important part of that overcoming.

Opinion Columnist

LZ Granderson

LZ Granderson writes about culture, politics, sports and navigating life in America.

The fact it wasn’t a federal holiday until 2021 is a reflection of both racism and our uneasiness talking about race, not an indication of the importance of the day itself. Case in point: Former president Donald Trump and current Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff couldn’t be further apart politically yet neither knew about Juneteenth until recently.

That was not an accident.

Granderson: One pillar of American racism is also propping up Fox News

Ava DuVernay’s film ‘Origin,’ now on Hulu, illuminates what is happening when someone like Newt Gingrich defies objective reality to make wild claims about Kamala Harris.

June 18, 2024

So teaching people about our collective past has to be just as intentional. And my cousin was committed to that intentionality.

Born in Mississippi during the 1950s, Ingrid and her family moved to Southern California to break free from the grip of Jim Crow while she was growing up. After graduating from Santa Ana High School, Ingrid went on to earn a law degree from UC Law San Francisco. In 1989 she became the equal opportunity director for Grand Rapids, Mich. That’s where we met.

Granderson: Praising the Jim Crow era? That’s a red flag

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) is staking out some odd positions as he tries to woo Trumpists and win a spot on the Republican presidential ticket. Beware.

June 11, 2024

At that time, she was trying to get the city’s big new project named after Rosa Parks, but the initiative was facing resistance.

The issue wasn’t the name as much as the location.

The city had hired Maya Lin, who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, to oversee the $6 million park in the heart of downtown. City leaders envisioned the site to be a statement to the world. And many did not want the civil rights movement to be that statement.

The sentiment from detractors at the time was that downtown was meant for everyone — and so they didn’t want Parks’ name to remind tourists of legislated bigotry.

The unspoken corollary: Buildings and streets named after Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks belong in the Black community.

It was as if they thought that the civil rights movement had nothing to do with white people.

Eventually the measure passed 4-3. Instead of the city’s crown jewel being named something generic — “Reflections” was one of the suggestions — it’s named after a woman who risked her life in the fight for equality.

And that was considered controversial.

Just as the federal holiday for Dr. King was controversial.

As well as Juneteenth.

There had been attempts to make the marking of the end of slavery a holiday since 1996, when Rep. Barbara-Rose Collins introduced legislation. In 2016, the teacher and activist Opal Lee walked from her home in Texas to Washington to bring attention to the day. Still it remained in limbo until the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

Even as that horrific event sparked global protests, President Trump planned a campaign rally in Tulsa on the holiday — before outcry forced him to reschedule. Something about a white nationalist holding a political rally at the site of a horrific race riot on the day the enslaved were freed just felt off.

Trump wasn’t aware his own White House had released a statement marking the occasion. He told the Wall Street Journal the controversy around his Tulsa rally made Juneteenth “famous” and “it’s actually an important event, and important time. But nobody had ever heard of it.”

That was 2020.

The following year Trump was suing to have the votes tossed out where a lot of Black people live in a bid to overturn the election that he lost. And President Biden signed the Juneteenth holiday into law. Not in reaction to Trump or to placate the Black community but because it’s a day that should matter to all Americans.

That includes white people, something Emhoff told me can’t be emphasized enough.

“There is a marked effort to erase history,” he said last week. “What I’ve seen is dark forces trying to divide us. Trying to put a wedge in between people and one of those wedges is diversity, equity and inclusion as if diversity is somehow a bad thing. We have to push back. We cannot let people get exhausted from pushing back.”

This year he visited two cities in the South — Raleigh and Birmingham — to mark Juneteenth and to remind voters of the role the Biden administration had in making it a federal holiday.

Polls are still showing Biden may be losing support in the Black community heading into November. The campaign is dedicating significant resources to get the word out on what the current administration has accomplished to earn the support of Black voters — such as the infrastructure bill, student loan forgiveness, historic low unemployment and the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. Yet in large part because of the Senate, criminal justice reform and voter protection were campaign promises that Biden has not yet been able to accomplish. As a result, there’s concern about apathy.

“We can do more than one thing at once,” Emhoff said about acknowledging victories while still working toward goals. “It is important to celebrate the history and what it means right now. It’s a way to explain to people what’s happening now.”

“It doesn’t matter what color you are, all of this history … it impacts everyone.”

@LZGranderson

More to Read

Oakwood’s Juneteenth celebration is a homecoming for Venice’s Black community

June 22, 2024

On Juneteenth, monument dedicated in Alabama to those who endured slavery

June 19, 2024

Editorial: Juneteenth isn’t a holiday just for Black people. Everyone should celebrate freedom

A cure for the common opinion

Get thought-provoking perspectives with our weekly newsletter.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

LZ Granderson is an Opinion columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He arrived in 2019 as The Times’ sports and culture columnist. Granderson is also a political contributor for ABC News. A fellow at the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago as well as the Hechinger Institute at Columbia University, the Emmy award winner appears regularly on The Times’ Spectrum News 1’s daily news magazine program, “L.A. Times Today.” Granderson joined CNN as a political contributor and columnist in 2009 before joining ABC in 2015. He spent 17 years at ESPN in a variety of roles, including NBA editor for ESPN The Magazine, senior writer for Page 2 and co-host of TV’s “SportsNation.” In 2011, Granderson was named Journalist of the Year by the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Assn., and his columns have been recognized by the National Assn. of Black Journalists as well as the Online News Assn. His podcast for ABC News, “Life Out Loud with LZ Granderson,” has won numerous honors, including a GLAAD award. His TED Talk on LGBTQ equality has more than 1.7 million views.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Opinion: Biden and Trump will talk big at the debate, but how much could either really do?

June 25, 2024

Column: Presidential debates generally don’t matter. This Biden-Trump face-off could be different

Opinion: As conservatives target same-sex marriage, its power is only getting clearer

Litman: This is Judge Aileen Cannon’s big gamble in the Trump classified records case

June 24, 2024

Recommended pages

• Undergraduate open days
• Postgraduate open days
• Accommodation
• Information for teachers
• Maps and directions
• Sport and fitness

Undergraduate Admissions

Where can i find out more about the personal statement and reference.

• Question Answered
• Rate this answer