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How To Write Your Graduate Entry Medicine Personal Statement

Discover tips to write the perfect Personal Statement when you're applying for Graduate Entry Medicine.

Writing a Personal Statement for Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) is a similar process to writing one for Undergraduate Medicine . However, it’s important to remember that you have more life experience than the typical Undergraduate applicant – and your Personal Statement should reflect this. Here are some tips to help you write the perfect GEM Personal Statement.

Explain Your Motivation for Medicine

To start with, you’ll need to explain why you want to study Medicine and train to become a Doctor. As a Graduate Entry applicant, it doesn’t matter if you developed a passion for Medicine at a young age, or if it’s something that came to you during your degree – as long as the motivation is strong and you explain it clearly.

Think about what’s unique or personal about your motivation for Medicine . Was it sparked by an experience you had? Did a particular moment during a work experience placement confirm that Medicine was the right path for you? And how have you pursued this passion since you had the initial spark?

Being specific in your Personal Statement will help you to stand out and avoid clichés.

It’s also important to show that you understand the realities of a career in Medicine and the challenges that come with it. This could be something you gained while shadowing Doctors and/or doing work experience in healthcare settings.

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Don’t Dwell on School

If you’re a candidate who applied for Undergraduate Medicine when you were at school and didn’t get a place, it might be tempting to revisit your Personal Statement from that time and rewrite it.

However, this isn’t advisable because you’ll probably be better off starting fresh. After all, you’ve gained plenty of life experience since you left school!

Of course, if you did some valuable work experience, volunteering or extracurricular activities while you were at school, you can certainly still discuss these things in your GEM Personal Statement. But don’t waste words writing about what you studied at A-Level . Medical Schools will be a lot more keen to hear about what you’ve done recently than in what aspects of the A-Level Chemistry syllabus interested you several years ago.

Reflect on Your Time at University

If you’ve completed a life sciences degree (e.g. Biomedical Science ), aspects of the syllabus will likely be relevant to Medicine. However, you shouldn’t just list the modules or topics that you’ve studied. Remember that lots of GEM applicants will have a similar degree, so you need to think of things to include in your Personal Statement that will make you stand out!

Was there an element of your degree which interested you so much that you did extra work around it? This could include a dissertation, research (if you’ve had any work published, now is the time to mention it) or work experience/volunteering in a particular area.

If you’re applying for Graduate Entry Medicine with a non-sciences degree, which is possible at certain Med Schools , write about activities you’ve done which demonstrate your enthusiasm for pursuing Medicine. You could discuss anything from work experience and volunteering, to attending talks or events and reading books about Medicine .

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Don’t Forget About Extracurricular Activities

Med Schools are looking for students who won’t just work hard, but will also make a valuable contribution to university life. As a Graduate Entry applicant, you’ve already completed one degree – which means you can provide solid evidence of the contribution that you would make.

Use your Personal Statement to discuss extracurricular activities you’ve been involved with during your time at university. And this doesn’t mean listing all of the taster sessions you tried out in freshers’ week ! Think about any societies or sports clubs that you’ve been a key member of – or maybe you even started a new society of your own.

When talking about your extracurricular activities, make sure you reflect on what you learned from them. It’s a good idea to highlight how you used and developed skills such as teamwork and leadership, because these are essential skills for any Doctor to have.

Be Selective

When it comes to writing a Personal Statement, Graduate Entry Medicine has the same word count as Undergraduate Medicine – even though you’re a few years older so it’s likely you’ll have a lot more to write about.

This means you need to be selective. Write a first draft with everything that you would like to include, and then be ruthless! Cut out unnecessary words, and think about whether some experiences are more unique or relevant than others to mention. Make sure you also pay special attention to your spelling and grammar.

If you need some more inspiration, check out this real Personal Statement example which was successful for Graduate Entry Medicine at King’s College London.

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Crafting an Outstanding Personal Statement as a Graduate Entry Medicine Applicant

Pursuing a career in medicine requires dedication under any circumstances. As a non-traditional applicant, you’ve taken a longer path but bring maturity and perspective that will aid you enormously. Your life experience is an asset, but applying also poses unique challenges.

This in-depth guide shares specialised insights to help graduate applicants create an outstanding personal statement. We’ll cover:

• Articulating your motivations
• Leveraging your advantages as a mature applicant
• Demonstrating up-to-date medical understanding
• Highlighting care experience with patients
• Structuring your statement strategically
• Reflecting appropriately on your background
• Balancing enthusiasm with realistic expectations
• Constructing a cohesive narrative

Follow this advice to convince admissions committees that medicine is the ideal next step in your journey.

Articulating Your Motivations Convincingly

A major question for graduate applicants is: Why pursue medicine now after another degree or career? Your motivations must be conveyed logically and sincerely.

For Anita, a former engineer, it was volunteer trips that sparked her passion for healthcare:

“Visiting clinics during Engineers Without Borders trips, I discovered my calling was not solving logistical problems but helping people through medicine. The boundless gratitude of patients as I assisted with basic care cemented my desire to become a doctor.”

Common Motivations for Graduate Applicants

“After years in a corporate law role, I found helping companies maximise profits unfulfilling. I missed making a difference in people’s lives. Shadowing doctors, I realised medicine better matches my values.”  (Jeremy, ex-lawyer)

"My engineering career exposed me to healthcare technologies, but volunteering at clinics taught me I find direct patient care profoundly meaningful."  (Leila, former engineer)

"While researching pharmaceuticals was rewarding intellectually, I missed the human side of healthcare – listening to patients’ fears and providing comfort."  (Neil, former pharma researcher)

Reflect Deeply on Your Influences

Take time for deep self-reflection on your experiences and thought processes. Be brutally honest with yourself about the frustrations, realisations and passions that sparked your interest in medicine. Convey your thought process and the full evolution of your influences logically. Demonstrate careful consideration of your motivations. Admissions committees want to see an authentic, well-contemplated decision, not a rash change of heart.

Balance Enthusiasm With Realism

Balance your enthusiasm with realistic expectations. Convey eagerness for a challenging new path, but acknowledge you appreciate the demands ahead, given your maturity. Share how past experiences equipped persistence to take on challenges. Mature applicants appreciate the privilege and rigours of medical training. This balanced outlook will strengthen your candidacy.

Leveraging Your Advantages as a Mature Applicant

Your non-traditional background is an asset, not a limitation. Your maturity and experience prepare you well for medicine in key ways:

Broader perspective  

Your understanding of healthcare delivery is informed by varied angles like research, corporate, clinical based on your background. This big picture insight will aid you enormously in medical practice.

“My engineering background exposed me to medical technology development. This taught me how clinical needs drive innovation.” (John, engineer)

Strong life skills  

You have proven yourself adept at time management, independence, work-life balance. These self-direction skills are absolutely essential for coping with medical school's intense demands.

Leadership abilities  

You likely held positions of responsibility in past roles. This demonstrates you can handle the leadership doctors must exhibit.

"Managing a 20-person team expanded my conflict resolution and mentoring abilities critical for leading as a physician." (Priya, former manager)

Enhanced resilience  

By changing paths, you have shown determination. This grit will help you handle the pressures of medical training.

"Adapting to a new country and career as an immigrant took perseverance. This taught me I can persevere through medical school's challenges." (Jiao, former accountant)

Use vivid examples to illustrate these assets gained from your maturity and experience. This convinces admissions committees your background prepares you well.

Demonstrating Up-To-Date Medical Understanding

Given time since your past studies, demonstrating current medical knowledge is crucial. Underscore this through:

• Recent coursework in sciences like anatomy, biochemistry, physiology. Mention concepts you found most relevant.
• Conferences, online learning, subscriptions to medical journals/publications. Reference a key insight that intrigues you.
• Work experience observing healthcare professionals. Note an aspect of modern practice that fascinates you.

This reassures admissions committees you are committed to refreshing scientific knowledge:

"Attending the American Geriatrics Society’s annual conference introduced me to new models of care coordination that better serve aging populations." (Leela, former actuary) "Auditing an undergraduate anatomy course ignited my fascination with the heart’s ingenious structures enabling circulation." (John, former teacher)

Approach this as an eager learner, not as someone claiming expertise. Convey intellectual curiosity and passion for lifelong medical learning.

Highlighting Care Experience with Patients

Given your background, sharing experiences that fulfilled your motivation to help people is crucial. These could be roles like:

• Volunteer assisting caregivers at clinics, hospitals, nursing homes
• Caregiver providing elderly or disabled people daily living assistance
• Health educator teaching community members wellness skills

Emphasize interactions that reaffirmed your people-centered values:

"Volunteering at an assisted living facility, I noticed an elderly lady became distressed each afternoon. I comforted her by listening to childhood stories, which eased her agitation. Her family thanked me for the companionship I provided." (Neil, former programmer)

Such examples prove you sincerely want to connect with and help people through medicine.

Structuring Your Statement Strategically

A graduate entry statement demands thoughtful structure. Avoid simply listing accomplishments or experiences. Instead, organise details to tell a meaningful story arc:

• The beginning Convey your original educational and career path. What drew you to this initially?
• The catalyst - Detail the pivotal experiences that prompted your reevaluation. What made you realise medicine was your true calling? How did this passion evolve?
• The journey - Describe how you explored this interest through substantive experiences like volunteering, shadowing, coursework. How did this definitively confirm medicine as the right decision? What key insights did you gain?
• Your future - Conclude by looking ahead. Express how medicine aligns with your values, strengths, and goals in light of your reflections. Convey your well-informed enthusiasm for the path ahead.

This narrative format allows you to form connections between disjointed experiences to demonstrate the logical evolution in your motivations and preparedness over time.

Admissions committees want to understand your thought process in choosing medicine. A cohesive narrative provides this context.

Reflecting Appropriately on Your Background

Given time since college, avoid simply listing qualifications or experiences from your background. Admissions expect deep reflection on how these have prepared you for medicine.

For academics, connect concepts you studied to current medical practice. Demonstrate how your perspective has evolved.

For jobs, explain how each built skills directly relevant to healthcare. Reflect on the lessons you gained:

"My technology consulting work involved distilling complex concepts into digestible information for clients. This taught me how to explain medical details clearly to patients at various levels of health literacy." (Priya, former consultant)

For extracurricular activities, describe how they developed employable skills like teamwork, communication, collaboration.

Such vivid reflections demonstrate the maturity to apply your background to a medical career.

Balancing Enthusiasm with Realistic Expectations

Convey genuine excitement for reentering academia and this next step in your journey. But given your maturity, also demonstrate realistic expectations by acknowledging the demands ahead:

"I am eager to embrace the rigours of this transformative path. My experience overcoming past academic and professional challenges has equipped me with the perseverance needed to succeed."

Mature applicants have the perspective to appreciate both the privilege and demands of medical school. Conveying this will strengthen your candidacy.

Key Takeaways

The medical school application process poses unique considerations for non-traditional applicants. By tailoring your personal statement using the guidance in this guide, you can convinces admissions committees that medicine is the ideal next step.

• Logically explaining your motivations and career change
• Illustrating advantages maturity brings
• Demonstrating up-to-date medical knowledge
• Highlighting care experience reaffirming your passion
• Constructing your statement as a career evolution narrative
• Appropriately reflecting on your background's relevance

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How to write a personal statement as a graduate-entry medicine student, some of my tips for writing a personal statement as a graduate-entry medicine student and how to incorporate your undergraduate degree..

In this article, I explore some of the main points that I found helpful when writing my personal statement to study Medicine as a graduate-entry student. I have gone back to review my own personal statement, recalled some of the advice that was given to me by my careers advisors and asked for some insight from my graduate medic peers so that I can hopefully provide you with some useful tips.

How to write a personal statement for Medicine as a graduate-entry student?

I think it is useful to remember that writing a personal statement for Medicine as a graduate-entry student shows many similarities to writing a personal statement for Medicine as an undergraduate student. Highlighting personal motivations behind your desire to study Medicine, indicating the relevant scientific, or other, content that stimulates your interest in a medical career, reflecting on what you have learned from your work experience and discussing your skills using examples and extra-curricular activities, for example, all remain useful to show that you are an educated, suitable and well-rounded student to study Medicine (do check out our blog post ‘ How Do You Write a Personal Statement For Medicine? ’!).

Graduate students applying to Medicine will, by definition, be completing (or already have completed) an undergraduate degree during their application process. Studying a degree is a significant life event and often one during which skills are developed and knowledge is acquired, both of which will often be relevant to a career in Medicine. The universities receiving your personal statement may be hoping to see how you have developed over the past three or four years of your degree, and how this development shows further your commitment and suitability to study Medicine.

The undergraduate degree may also be the most recent, or at least relatively recent, life event in terms of education for many graduate applicants. Like how undergraduate students discuss aspects of their most recent and important life event in terms of education ie. higher school education (such as A-Levels in England and Scottish Highers in Scotland etc.), graduate-entry students will discuss aspects of their undergraduate degree (their most recent education). Furthermore, for a portion of graduate students, the undergraduate degree is the time during which students may become certain that a career in Medicine is the route that they would like to pursue (like it was for myself).

So, it makes sense and will be appropriate to discuss selected and important aspects of your undergraduate degree in your personal statement when applying to Medicine as a graduate applicant.

How to incorporate your undergraduate degree in your personal statement?

The type of undergraduate degree will help to determine what you will write about. For example – Which degree did you study? Was it a science or a non-science degree? Which modules did you take? Did you have a placement year? Did you study an integrated masters? And so on. Regardless of the degree or type of degree you studied, there will likely be aspects that you would like to discuss which have contributed to your choice and suitability to study Medicine.

Graduate students will have a huge range of modules, experiences and skills from their undergraduate degree that they may want to write about. After brainstorming the options you could write about, it is likely that you will be overwhelmed with how many there actually are! Therefore, I would say it is advisable to focus on the most important examples you can provide which highlight yourself as an individual and your dedication and suitability to study Medicine, rather than listing every single example and not reflecting on them properly. Make sure you choose your examples carefully – ask yourself which genuinely helped to stimulate your interest in and educate your desire to study and practice Medicine and reflect on why this was.

It helped me to focus on highlighting WHAT about and HOW specifically aspects of the undergraduate degree I chose to discuss are important to show reasons for my choice and dedication to study Medicine. Try to use these examples, alongside discussion about other personal statement content, such as work experience, to demonstrate you understand what a career in Medicine entails and the skills required.

You could write about, for example, relevant studying content of the undergraduate degree, wider reading from lectures, your final year project, skills and attributes that you have developed over the past three or four years that may be transferred to studying and practising Medicine (such as organisation, time management, managing stress, remaining calm under pressure [university exam revision relevance] OR teamwork [coursework group project relevance] and so on), work experience and/or placements that you have undergone as part of your degree, extra-curricular activities you have participated in during this time… really, anything that you feel has helped to strengthen your capabilities to pursue a career in Medicine.

Just a note to say remember to make the personal statement personal to YOU . No one has undergone the same combination of experiences and has the same range and extent of abilities as you do. The experiences you had during your undergraduate degree have likely contributed significantly to your decision and capabilities to study Medicine and have shaped you into the candidate you are right now.

Summary of the tips that helped me when approaching how to discuss my undergraduate degree in my personal statement:

• ‍ Brainstorming – I began by jotting down all of the relevant ideas that I could discuss ie. the examples and experiences during my undergraduate degree that motivated further my desire to study Medicine and helped to describe the development of relevant skills.
• ‍ Considering which experiences were most valuable - I made sure to select the most important, the most relevant and the most unique examples personal to me (sadly, there are not enough characters to write about them all, so it is useful to be selective!).
• ‍ Finding links between examples – I noticed I was able to make links between examples from my undergraduate degree and other important examples , such as discussing degree content or skills I had developed during my degree, alongside relevant work experience (see examples below).
• ‍ Don’t just think about your undergraduate degree - remember that whilst your undergraduate degree is an important event and one from which you will likely want to discuss details, there will likely be other important events, not necessarily related to the undergraduate degree, that you may like to discuss. For example, events during your higher school education or earlier (although more recent examples are often preferred), work experience, volunteering, extra-curricular activities etc. So, whilst the undergraduate degree will likely feature in your personal statement, make sure to allow for enough characters to also discuss these other important aspects, all of which make you the unique candidate that you are.

Examples from my own personal statement:

I discussed my motivations to study Medicine alongside aspects of my undergraduate degree that encouraged and expanded these motivations. For example, I studied Biomedical Sciences and specialised in Reproductive Biology, which had a considerable clinical component that I thoroughly enjoyed. I tied this into discussing related work experience , at a fertility clinic, and how this experience helped to further stimulate my interest in Medicine. I also discussed undergraduate degree content, for example, from the pharmacology modules I had studied. I expressed how I found this content incredibly interesting and saw application of this information I had learned during work experience at a GP surgery.

Final Remarks

Overall, I would suggest focusing on selected examples and events that have genuinely impacted YOUR decision and commitment to study Medicine. It is always useful to do your research, seek advice from a range of individuals and reliable resources and ask people around you to read through your personal statement and provide any feedback they may have. Take your time with it, believe in yourself and best of luck!

Here are some links you may find useful when writing a personal statement as a graduate-entry Medicine applicant:

https://www.medistudents.com/medical-school-applications/medicine-personal-statement

https://6med.co.uk/guides/personal-statements/inspiration/graduate-entry-medicine-personal-statement-samah-cambridge-university/

https://www.medicineanswered.com/how-to-write-a-graduate-medicine-personal-statement

Author: Carolina Williams

Editor: Allegra Wisking

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7 Steps to a Successful Personal Statement for Graduate Entry Medicine

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Back when I was applying to med school, I wrote a personal statement that got me into Graduate Entry Medicine – I also got invites to interviews at all 3 places I applied to for GEM. Perhaps you, like me back then, are facing writing a personal statement with little to no support.

One thing we have as graduates is previous experience writing at least one successful personal statement! However, Medicine, and especially Graduate Entry Medicine, is extremely competitive and so understandably you are looking for some specific help.

In this blog post I share the 7 steps I went through to write my personal statement. If you’d like to read my successful personal statement, just click here !

First things first – make sure to write and save your personal statement in Microsoft Word or an equivalent programme. You’ll copy it across to the UCAS form only once it’s near 100% polished in step 7.

Once you have a clear structure in mind for your personal statement, the rest will feel easier. Now, you don’t need to structure it exactly like I did. But the below will give you an idea of what you could do – I wrote 6 paragraphs and used the following structure (each box represents a paragraph):

2. Brainstorm

If you want to write a killer personal statement, it all starts here. Invest a sizeable amount of time into this brainstorming stage.

Jot down some ideas about what you could mention in your PS. Use the following as prompts:

• Academic work or achievements that will demonstrate an enthusiasm for science and learning. Also, that you possess intellectual curiosity e.g. a dissertation, essay, group project
• Medicine-related books you’ve read that are thought provoking or inspiring e.g. This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
• Medicine-related talks you’ve attended or watched online that you have found thought provoking or inspiring e.g. TED Talks
• Moments during work experiences & volunteering that have shown you the qualities doctors need and the realities of working in healthcare. Recall the details of any moments that have particularly inspired you to pursue this career or helped you to realise you are a good fit for it. Look at your work experience / volunteering journal for inspiration, if you kept one.
• Extra-curricular activities or positions of responsibility that demonstrate you possess qualities doctors need (such as teamwork, empathy and time management) e.g. captain of a sports team, member of a sports team, being in an orchestra or choir, being on the committee of a society, leading a campaign, fundraising, part-time jobs, other hobbies and interests

Struggling to find work experience? Check out my blog post How to Get Medical Work Experience in the COVID-19 Pandemic .

3. First draft

Allow your very first draft to be messy, imperfect and (feel) downright rubbish. Even professional writers write rubbish first drafts so don’t worry about it. The important thing is to get the first draft DONE.

UCAS gives you a maximum of 4,000 characters including spaces or 47 lines. When you first write your PS, it’ll likely shoot way over this. But don’t fret. You’ll remedy this in steps 4-6.

You also want to make sure you’re writing your PS in the right style…

Writing style tips:

• Write in the first person (“I”).
• Clear, straightforward language.
• Avoid colloquial language.
• Concise phrasing; avoid super long sentences.
• Use active wording e.g. “I organised”, “I completed”.
• Give specific examples with some detail and say how they have impacted you e.g. instead of “I organised work experience at my local hospital and it was very insightful because I learnt that doctors must be patient and kind” say something more like “I organised work experience at my local hospital and sat in on the consultations of an ophthalmologist. I observed the doctor was patient and warm with all their patients despite the time pressures they were under and this impressed upon me the empathy and patience required to be a doctor.”

At this point you may want to go grab a cup of tea, watch a movie or just sleep on it. Well done on getting this far!

Now, to turn your rubbishy first draft into a golden personal statement the next 4 steps will be absolutely key.

“The writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.” ― Dr. Seuss

The ultimate goal with editing is to create a personal statement that is both concise and flows well when being read. Read back through your personal statement and rephrase sentences, delete sections that are unnecessary, add in bits you feel could add more to your statement and double check spelling and grammar (ensure it’s set to British English if you’re a UK applicant!)

Something I always do when editing any piece of writing is to READ IT OUT LOUD. I find I can miss subtle mistakes if I don’t do this plus it’s great for checking the flow of your writing.

Some say it’s helpful to print your statement before proofreading it also.

Remember, don’t just list what you’ve done . It’s crucial that you give specific examples, provide some detail and describe what you have learnt from your experiences & achievements.

5. Get feedback

Some websites encourage you to ask your friends and family to give you feedback on your personal statement. I don’t believe this is unhelpful . But I do believe it’s more helpful to ask those who have experience writing, or helping people to write, successful Medicine personal statements – there isn’t always an overlap.

If your old school has a track record of getting their pupils into Medicine, you could ask them for feedback. Some schools will be willing to help you even if you left quite a while ago!

You could also ask a member of staff at the university you are currently at or recently left who has experience helping students get into Medicine.

Perhaps you have some friends who are medical students or doctors – ask them too.

I asked a medical student who I had met coincidentally in my career before studying Medicine. Also, a member of university staff where I was doing my MSc at the time; they were super keen to get more students into Medicine from their department. This member of staff then put me in touch with a graduate who had recently got into Medicine from the same uni. This grad medical student kindly became my third pair of eyes!

Some of you may feel like there’s no one you can ask for quality feedback. Thankfully, there are people out there who are happy to critique your personal statement for FREE. Read my blog post Master List of FREE Medicine Personal Statement Reviewers .

This stage isn’t easy and may involve a lot of head scratching. You may go through several further drafts and that’s okay. You could even start all over again and write a whole new PS.

Either way, your goal is to refine your personal statement and produce its final form.

Consider the feedback given to you by the people you asked to review your PS. If you got feedback from multiple people, prioritise the feedback from those who have success writing, or helping people to write, successful Medicine personal statements.

You don’t have to create the best personal statement that ever existed. But to help ensure success, give it a good go!

Check out my Ultimate Medicine Personal Statement Checklist  (free download) to help you ensure you’ve done all you can to make your PS excellent.

7. Finalise (check formatting, spelling & grammar)

Is your PS 4,000 characters or 47 lines or less?

Does your PS make sense and flow well for a reader despite the inevitable deletions and multiple rephrasings you’ve done during editing?

Have you done steps 1-6 of this blog post?

You may be ready to submit!

Time to run a final spelling and grammar check using Microsoft Word or equivalent. The UCAS form doesn’t allow you to do this so make sure to do it before copying it into UCAS.

Alrighty. Copy and paste it into the UCAS form. I personally found I had to make further edits to make it work in UCAS. Maybe you’ll be luckier. Either way, once you’re satisfied, submit it to UCAS and you’re done!

Further reading you may find helpful:

• Personal Statements ebook by We Are Medics
• Write the Perfect Personal Statement published by ISC Medical

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Have some feedback on this article? Did I make an error?  Please contact me via the  contact  page or leave a comment below.

You might also be interested in my article 6 Books to Read Before Your Medical School Interview .

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Medicine Personal Statement

Your medicine personal statement is one of the most important elements of your medical school application. Competition for medical school is always fierce, and you can expect more of the same if you are submitting an application in 2024. Therefore, your personal statement will be essential to distinguish yourself from other applicants.

Universities will factor it into their decision-making process by comparing candidates before or after an interview , along with the result from your admission exam (if applicable) and your predicted grades. You should see your personal statement as an opportunity to show universities more about you, your experiences and your motivation for applying.

Is the personal statement changing in 2024?

If you're applying in 2024 for 2025 entry, you may have heard that changes were expected for your personal statement. However, UCAS has confirmed that this won't be happening in 2024. Instead, changes are expected for those applying in 2025 for 2026 entry. This isn’t going to be a complete overhaul. Instead, the personal statement is being reformed to include a series of questions, providing more structure to those writing it.

As it stands, UCAS has confirmed personal statements will be written around the following questions:

• Motivation for the course: Why do you want to study these courses? You should research medicine courses at different universities and look at which modules you’d like to study, ensuring they provide what you’re looking for. The question itself is an opportunity to express which parts of medicine you’re most interested in, the area of speciality training you’d like to commit to after university, and your future career ambitions ‍
• Preparation for the course: How has your learning so far helped you to be ready to succeed on these courses? This question will require you to highlight the knowledge and skills you have gained from school, college or any other formal learning opportunities. Of course, your answers will be personal to you. However, you should demonstrate an understanding of what will help you succeed in your medicine course. ‍
• Preparedness through other experiences: What else have you done to help you prepare, and why are these experiences useful? Shadowing a doctor or volunteering at a hospital are great opportunities and provide you with valuable insight into what it’s like to be a doctor. However, securing clinical experience while you’re still in school is difficult. Finding a role that allows you to care for and support ill, disabled, disadvantaged, or vulnerable people is just as valuable at this stage, though. You should explain what you’ve learned from these experiences, the skills you’ve developed, and why they’ll help you in your medicine course.

The good news is that you would be writing about these subjects anyway. If anything, the questions might make the writing process easier, as it ensures that you only include relevant material. Remember, this is expected to come into effect in 2025, so if you’re applying this year, you don’t need to follow this structure.

How to write a personal statement for medicine

Your personal statement is a key opportunity to show your chosen universities the skills and experiences that make you a suitable candidate, as well as your ambitions for a career in medicine. You’ll find some guidance on what you should aim to include in your personal statement in the next section, but it’ll also be useful to consider the following when preparing to write your personal statement:

1. The UCAS character limit

One of the biggest challenges when looking at areas that you need to cover is trying to include everything within the tight UCAS character limit. Remember, you only have 4,000 characters, which is roughly 550–1000 words or two sides of A4. Consider which elements are most important to you and which qualities and experiences you want to demonstrate, as there may be things you have to sacrifice to avoid exceeding the character limit.

2. Your writing style

The quality of your writing is important within your personal statement, so consider your choice of language carefully and remember your audience and what you’re trying to convey. Equally, ensure that your writing is cohesive and flows well; so while you'll undoubtedly have a list of skills, experiences and information you want to include, you want to avoid it reading like a list.

3. Making your experiences relevant

Whether you’re discussing work experience you’ve undertaken or hobbies or clubs that you partake in, you should always focus on making them relevant to your future studies. Universities aren’t looking for a narrative of work experience that you’ve carried out; they’re interested in what you learned as a result of the experience. Your personal statement should reflect on any work experience and demonstrate what skills and/or qualities you’ve developed which are required within the medical profession. Similarly, with your hobbies or clubs, you should reflect on relevant skills and qualities that you have developed as a result of these.

4. How you will demonstrate your knowledge of working within the medical profession

As well as demonstrating your motivation for working within the medical profession, it’s also important to show that you have a realistic understanding of what this entails, which can be achieved by acknowledging the less attractive side of medicine. However, ensure that you put a positive spin on any negatives you present and allow your passion for medicine to come through. Linking to your work experience is a great way of doing this. For example, you could highlight challenges that you observed within medical practice but focus on the positives that came from this: was it multidisciplinary teamwork, effective communication, or challenging individuals to continue to develop their skills and knowledge?

Medicine Personal Statement Structure

There isn’t a set personal statement template which you need to follow, however, there are some essential things which you should try to include. The UCAS website previously advised that university admissions tutors are looking for evidence of the following:

1. Your understanding of the subject area and the demands of the medical profession, as well as your motivation to study and fulfil the requirements of your future role.

This can be demonstrated in a number of ways:

• Relevant work experience and shadowing - remember to focus on what you learnt and the skills and qualities you developed as a result of the work experience, and only include concise descriptions of what tasks you did, and only when relevant.
• Reference to additional reading around key issues, topics and the latest research - only include things you will be confident discussing at your interview, should it be referred to.
• Membership of relevant societies / clubs - don’t simply list these, make meaningful links between the knowledge, skills and qualities you have developed through your participation in these.

2. Your interests outside of your academic study.

For example, sports, music, volunteering. Again, remember to use these to demonstrate your skills and qualities that will make you a suitable candidate for medical school.

3. Your ability to work individually and as a member of a team.

Give examples of occasions when you’ve demonstrated that you can work effectively within a team and as an individual. You may also want to include examples of situations where you’ve led a group, if you have experience of this.

4. Your personal qualities which make you suitable for a career in medicine.

Try to provide examples which demonstrate your personal qualities which make you a suitable candidate for medical school, for example your empathy, your resilience, your drive, etc., by linking to your work experience, your hobbies and even your academic studies.

5. Your analytical and critical thinking skills demonstrated through a well written personal statement.

The most effective way to demonstrate your skills is by providing examples, using your experiences to show that you process the required analytical and critical thinking skills to make you a suitable candidate.

Excellent Medicine Personal Statement Tips

Writing your personal statement can seem daunting; keep it simple with the following useful tips:

1. Plan what you want to include

Using the information above to help you, create a plan of what you want to include, whether that’s using a mind map, lists, or any other method that works for you. This will ensure you know which experiences, skills, and qualities you want to share before starting your personal statement.

2. Draft, draft and draft again

Don’t worry about making your personal statement perfect the first time around (or keeping within the character limit for that matter). Once you’ve written everything you want to include you can begin rewording sentences, moving sections around, and editing parts that are less significant so you can get within the character limit.

3. Give yourself lots of time

It's simple but so important. All those drafts take time, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to write. You don’t want your personal statement to appear rushed or to miss important information that will help your application.

4. Draw on trusted family members, friends or teachers to check over your statement

Getting a second opinion is useful for picking up errors you might have missed or showing you where you can sell yourself more. Just be careful to avoid taking on board too many opinions, as you want you to make sure it’s your voice which comes through.

5. Read it aloud

It’s so basic but it makes spotting punctuation and grammatical errors easier. It’ll also help ensure that it flows and reads well, which admissions tutors will be looking for.

How to Start a Medicine Personal Statement

Often the most difficult part with any written piece is getting started; there is generally a focus on ensuring that your first paragraph captivates your reader and makes them want to read more, which can create a stumbling block when you begin writing. A useful tactic to help you to avoid staring at a blank page for hours, is to ignore your opening altogether, and to begin as if you’re picking it up after an introductory sentence or two. Once you’ve written your first draft, you’ll find it easier to draw out interesting points and to rework them to create an opening statement.

It’s important within your opening paragraph to show your passion and your reasons for wanting to study medicine; the difficulty is trying to avoid cliches, when it’s highly likely that your reasons for wanting to study medicine are similar to many students who have come before you. Sharing your interests which are related to medicine, or your personal experiences (your work experience, volunteering, etc.), which have developed your passion, is an effective way to achieve this in an individual way. Don’t get fixated on trying to stand out; focus on giving an honest account of why you want to study medicine and your interests and experiences that have helped you to decide this, and avoid using unrealistic or exaggerated reasons or experiences.

Remember, while your opening section is important, it is also just one part of your overall statement; make sure that it adds to your personal statement (remember that tight character limit) and isn’t just there to grab attention.

Graduate Entry Medicine Personal Statement

If you’re applying for the graduate entry route, not only will the UCAS rules be the same for your personal statement (for example, the character limit, deadline, etc.), but what you should aim to include will also remain the same. However, university admission tutors will have higher expectations for graduate entry applicants’ skills, competencies and experiences, given that you have undertaken a degree previously and likely have more experience.Therefore, sharing relevant work experience, as well as any academic achievements or other accomplishments which are relevant, will allow you to demonstrate that you meet these expectations.

Even if your current or previous employment is not health-related, it may still be relevant to your application, if you're able to demonstrate the transferable skills which will be useful for a career in medicine. Where possible, provide examples of additional work experience within medical or care settings, if your employment isn’t health-related, to demonstrate your commitment to studying medicine and your development of skills to support this. Remember to limit your descriptions of your work experience, to include only what is necessary, and focus on reflecting on your experiences and the skills and qualities you have developed as a result of them.

Writing a Graduate Entry Medicine Personal Statement

As with other routes into medicine, you’ll be expected to demonstrate why you want to study and your passion for a future career in medicine. Admission tutors will also assess whether you have the required attributes for a career in medicine and a realistic view of what it entails. Again, reflecting on your previous work experiences, either voluntary or paid, as well as your previous degree, if it’s relevant, will allow you to demonstrate that you meet these requirements.

You can find more guidance on entry requirements, funding and admissions exams in our Graduate Entry Medicine blog .

A Good Medicine Personal Statement

Finally, remember that a good medical personal statement will look completely different depending on the candidate. Focus on sharing your unique experiences, skills, and qualities, as well as your personal ambitions and passion for a career in medicine. Admission tutors want to see that, and it will make you stand out as an individual.

For more personal statement tips visit the UCAS ‘How to write your undergraduate personal statement’. Our dedicated ‘Applying to medical school' section can also help you with all aspects of your medical school application and interview.

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How To Write A Graduate Medicine Personal Statement

This guide will help you write an excellent graduate Medicine personal statement . We start by highlighting the fundamental differences in approach required to write a graduate entry Medicine personal statement compared to a non-graduate Medicine personal statement.

We then include a Graduate entry Medicine personal statement checklist of things your statement must include. Finally, we cover how to write your graduate Medicine personal statement in 10 easy to follow steps. These steps will take you from step 1; the ideas stage with nothing written down and no plan or structure in mind, all the way to step 10; a completed, high-quality graduate entry medical school personal statement which is ready for submission.

How should a graduate entry medical school personal statement differ to a non-graduate Medicine personal statement?

A graduate entry Medicine personal statement will not be obviously different to a non-graduate entry personal statement. It must follow the same rules regarding the character count , submission deadlines and so on. However, there are critical points and differences in approach that you must consider as a graduate applicant. These will apply to your interview also:

Admissions tutors will expect that graduates applying to medical school will have had more time to mature and acquire skills, accomplishments and life experiences compared to high school leavers. They will typically assess you in comparison to the calibre of other graduates, even if you are applying for a standard entry Medicine course.

Motivation to study Medicine as a graduate

Why do you want to study Medicine now? If applicable, why do you want to change career? Graduates with a health or science background will typically find it easier to explain their path to wanting to study Medicine as a graduate than candidates with an arts degree. Graduates with seemingly unrelated degrees (e.g. English literature, journalism, etc.) can still be as successful as those with science degrees. Remember, several medical schools accept degrees from any discipline. These graduates simply require a little more effort in showing that they have good reasons to switch to Medicine and that their degree or career brings transferrable skills.

In some non-Medicine degrees, admissions tutors are primarily checking that an applicant has the necessary grades and some interest in the degree. This is certainly not the case in applying to medical school and especially for graduate applicants. This is because Medicine is a significant commitment. It is a long degree and a challenging career. Highly motivated candidates with a real passion for Medicine have a much higher chance of completing the degree and succeeding in their careers than candidates with a weak motivation or interest in Medicine. Additionally, Medicine necessitates a career-long commitment to keeping your skills and knowledge up to date and learning new ones as Medicine is continuously progressing.

This is why medical school admissions tutors will scrutinise a candidate’s motivation to study Medicine and their understanding of what a medical career entails. They want to see if an applicant’s motivation is genuine and built over a sustained period, not merely a phase which may pass. They need evidence that an applicant’s understanding of a medical career is realistic and based on experience and research, not merely a burning desire to study Medicine. You will show these things by explaining your reasons for studying Medicine and how you have explored these reasons and confirmed them (e.g. work experience). The key is to show not tell. You must link your reasons with evidence instead of just stating reasons.

We show examples of this in action in the following two excerpts from a personal statement which the Medicine Answered team worked on. The candidate received four offers for an interview (and then four offers for a place). We have kindly been permitted to post it here.

Here the candidate states that the ever-advancing nature of Medicine and life-long learning appeals to him. This is “telling” i.e. merely a claim. Crucially he also backs this up by “showing” this with evidence . He shows this is true by saying he has attended several extracurricular lectures. He explores the claims of one lecture further by writing an essay, showing that he has intellectual curiosity and is a self-directed learner. He shows insight and perseverance by stating that using post-A-level books was challenging but something he enjoyed and learnt from. The things he mentioned made for good talking points at his interview.

The candidate is not merely stating that he looked after his grandmother, so he wants to be a doctor. Many people look after elderly or unwell relatives and do not want to be a doctor as a result. Similarly, being helped by a lawyer does not make most people want to become a lawyer. He explains that he wants a career that helps others and contributes to the community. He links this to caring for his grandmother and then says how his work experience has reinforced his wishes and made him realise that Medicine will allow him to fulfil this ambition.

You can view the rest of this successful Medicine personal statement and our analysis in our free blog.

Academic history and current academic ability

It is a well-established phenomenon that some candidates mature academically later in life. This may mean older GCSE and A-level results are not a true reflection of current academic ability. Individual medical schools assess these pre-degree results differently. Some still have strict requirements for older qualifications while others have very few and focus more on degree results. Either way, at the time of your medical school application as a graduate, you must demonstrate excellent academic ability as well as organisation and self-awareness . Of course, non-graduates must also show this, but this is even more important if you are applying to an accelerated four-year graduate Medicine programme. How do you have the required abilities to complete a medical degree an entire year faster than most students?

Academic awards and achievements

Due to their degrees and/or careers, graduate applicants are more likely than non-graduate applicants to have publications, academic awards, poster presentations and so on. Adding these to your graduate medicine personal statement or reference can strengthen your application. Do not worry if you do not have these; you can show your qualities in other ways.

Real work experience

As a graduate applicant to Medicine, it is more likely that you have had fulltime jobs compared to non-graduate applicants. If you are applying later in life, you may have had a distinct career. As a graduate applicant to medical school, you will need to demonstrate what skills your previous degree and if applicable career gave you . Your degree and background will have transferable skills even if it is non-health or science related and it is up to you to be able to demonstrate this. Additionally, gaining medical work experience should be easier for graduates as they are over 18.

A checklist of other essential elements a graduate entry Medicine personal statement must include which are common to all strong medical school personal statements

The points we have listed in the above section highlight specific differences in approach that must be considered in a graduate medicine personal statement versus a non-graduate entry personal statement. Make sure your personal statement addresses these things. However, don’t forget that your graduate Medicine personal statement still needs to include things which are common to all medical school personal statements. Here is a checklist of these things:

An excellent writing style. Excellent grammar, spelling and punctuation

These are essential requirements. Anything less is not acceptable in a graduate or any type of medical school personal statement. We have several free blogs to help you do this, and our personal statement review service uses professional proof-readers.

A consistent and logical structure for your graduate Medicine personal statement

Your graduate entry Medicine personal statement’s structure must be logical and consistent . Avoid the common mistake of scattering sentences which are making a similar point or showing similar attributes all over your personal statement. Instead, sentences making a similar point or sharing a similar theme (e.g. importance of teamwork, extracurricular activities, examples highlighting your intellectual curiosity and academic abilities, etc.) should be grouped together in paragraphs or part paragraphs. If similar points are put together, then each point reinforces the last one and makes the overall message you are trying to convey more obvious to the reader and easier to notice and remember. It will also give your graduate Medicine personal statement structure and a better flow.

Solid examples of work experience in caring or service roles with reflections

Admissions tutors need to see this as evidence of an applicant’s commitment and interest in becoming a doctor. Candidates with work experience are more likely to have a more realistic view of being a doctor than candidates without work experience. Work experience also provides a medium for applicants to demonstrate they have attributes essential to studying Medicine. For example, personal organisation, reliability, self-awareness, the ability to reflect, empathy and so on.

Medical schools value medical work experience and also non-medical experience in caring and service roles, particularly if they are working with disadvantaged groups. They appreciate that it can be difficult for applicants to partake in medical work experience so most will not penalise candidates for not having direct medical work experience. Many medical schools state that they value work experience in caring and service roles equally to medical work experience. Others suggest you should at least speak to doctors. However, the main barrier for non-graduate applicants gaining work experience is being under 18, and this will not apply to graduate applicants. As a graduate applicant, you must show that you have a detailed understanding of the working lives of doctors, particularly if you are changing career.

Reflecting on your experiences instead of just listing them

Admissions tutors will not be impressed by long lists of work experience, extracurricular activities or achievements. Nor do they want to see diary accounts of all the steps in an operation or procedure you observed. How these experiences relate back to you and the meaning and insights that you derived from them is more important than what you did.

For example, you could explain how attending multidisciplinary meetings at your work experience highlighted the importance of effective teamwork and communication. This is far better than just stating that you attended a multidisciplinary meeting.

For the reader to understand what you are referring to, it is necessary to describe or list things to some degree. However, this is just the first step. An excellent personal statement will describe events in a concise manner and use most of the personal statement character count on the next step, which is reflecting on these experiences. This may include describing how these things developed certain skills or demonstrate that you possess these skills. Or perhaps how these things appeal to you and reinforce your desire to study Medicine. What motivated you to do these things; did you overcome any challenges or barriers; what have these experiences taught you about yourself, other people or Medicine?

Does your graduate entry Medical school personal statement provide evidence that you possess the attributes and core values required to study Medicine?

The Medical schools council have described core attributes and traits which are needed to study Medicine . We have discussed them in detail and importantly explained why they are actually required and how to show them in this blog. We cover them in detail to give you a sound understanding of them, so you are not simply attempting to tick boxes.

The crucial approach for your personal statement is to show that you have these attributes and not merely claim you have them . For example, you can talk about how working twice a week at a hospice for 6 months while studying demonstrates your organisation, personal responsibility, commitment and ability to work with others. This is more credible and impressive than simply claiming you have these traits.

Excellent examples of outside interests and extracurricular activities

In personal statements for other courses these are sometimes just mentioned in passing. However, these are essential in medical school personal statements and frequently come up at interview. Doctors work in teams and interact with the public so being well rounded is a desirable trait. Additionally, these interests can be important for what can be at times an emotionally demanding and stressful career. Finally, extracurricular activities and hobbies provide another medium besides work experience for you to demonstrate that you possess the attributes required to be a doctor. Depending on what you do, your outside interests and extracurricular activities may demonstrate leadership, teamwork, persistence, excellence, problem solving, creativity and more.

Graduate Entry Medicine personal statement checklist

To summarise what we have covered so far, here is a graduate entry Medicine personal statement checklist of things which every graduate entry Medicine personal statement must include:

1) An excellent writing style. Excellent grammar, spelling and punctuation 2) A consistent and logical structure 3) Instead of writing long lists, include reflections on the meaning and insight that you have derived from your experiences, achievements, extracurricular activities and so on 4) Robust and clear reasons why you want to study Medicine – if applicable why you are changing your subject or career 5) The transferable skills that your previous degree or career have given you 6) Strong examples of work experience with reflections 7) Examples of outside interests and extracurricular activities which enhance your application by showing positive skills and attributes

Additionally, as a graduate, your personal statement should reflect:

1) You have had more time than a school leaver to acquire skills, accomplishments and life experiences. 2) Strong academic abilities – necessary for all applicants but particularly graduates applying to accelerated graduate courses.

Writing your Graduate Medicine personal statement

Now you are ready to start the process of writing your graduate entry Medicine personal statement. We cover this in our entirely free guide on how to write a Medicine personal statement in 10 easy steps. This takes you from step 1; with nothing written down, no structure or plan all the way to step 10; a completed excellent Graduate entry Medicine personal statement ready for submission.

How can Medicine Answered help you with your graduate medical school personal statement?

Medicine Answered offer one of the highest quality Medicine personal statement review services available. A professional editor and a fully qualified doctor , who themselves received all four UCAS offers to study Medicine, will both check and correct your personal statement . This unique level of expertise puts us a step ahead of other providers, some of whom use untrained students or people with no medical or admissions background and who do not have professional proof-reading skills.

We go beyond the typical reviews of just grammar and structure like other services. After making enhancements to your statement, we comment on the strength of your application , we can consider your UKCAT, academic grades, work experience and extracurricular activities and suggest ways to enhance your application further as part of our full Application Review Service. We suggest things which may come up at interview specifically as a result of your personal statement.

We also have a myriad of free articles about medical school applications (personal statements, interviews, UKCAT, picking a medical school etc.), life as a student and doctor and more. They are entirely free and do not require you to sign up for anything or give your email address or anything else. This is because we believe that becoming a doctor should be possible for anyone based on their motivation and abilities and not on their background or financial ability. You can find out more about these under our resources section. We also offer interview preparation courses, personal statement services, and one to one tutoring to help you in your medical school application.

You can learn more about these under our services section or feel free to contact us.

Great Medical School Personal Statement Examples (2024-2025) Insider’s Guide

A physician and former medical school admissions officer teaches you how to write your medical school personal statement, step by step. Read several full-length medical school personal statement examples for inspiration.

In this article, a former medical school admissions officer explains exactly how to write a stand-out medical school personal statement!

Our goal is to empower you to write a medical school personal statement that reflects your individuality, truest aspirations and genuine motivations.

This guide also includes:

• Real life medical school personal statement examples
• Medical school personal statement inventory template and outline exercise
• AMCAS, TMDSAS, and AACOMAS personal statement prompts
• Advanced strategies to ensure you address everything admissions committees want to know
• The secret to writing a great medical school personal statement

So, if you want your medical school personal statement to earn more more medical school interviews, you will love this informative guide.

Let’s dive right in.

Table of Contents

Medical School Personal Statement Fundamentals

If you are getting ready to write your medical school personal statement for the 2024-2025 application year, you may already know that almost 60% of medical school applicants are not accepted every year . You have most likely also completed all of your medical school requirements and have scoured the internet for worthy medical school personal statement examples and guidance.

You know the medical school personal statement offers a crucial opportunity to show medical schools who you are beyond your GPA and MCAT score .

It provides an opportunity to express who you are as an individual, the major influences and background that have shaped your interests and values, what inspired you to pursue medicine, and what kind of a physician you envision yourself becoming.

However, with so much information online, you are not sure who to trust. We are happy you have found us!

Because the vast majority of people offering guidance are not former admissions officers or doctors , you must be careful when searching online.

We are real medical school admissions insiders and know what goes on behind closed doors and how to ensure your medical school personal statement has broad appeal while highlighting your most crucial accomplishments, perspectives, and insights.

With tight limits on space, it can be tough trying to decide what to include in your medical school personal statement to make sure you stand out. You must think strategically about how you want to present your personal “big picture” while showing you possess the preprofessional competencies med schools are seeking.

When a medical school admissions reviewer finishes reading your medical school personal statement, ask yourself:

• What are the most important things you want that person to remember about you?
• Does your medical school personal statement sum up your personality, interests, and talents?
• Does your medical school personal statement sound as if it’s written from the heart?

It’s pretty obvious to most admissions reviewers when applicants are trying too hard to impress them. Being authentic and upfront about who you are is the best way to be a memorable applicant.

The Biggest Medical School Personal Statement Mistakes

The most common medical school personal statement mistake we see students make is that they write about:

• What they have accomplished
• How they have accomplished it

By including details on what you have accomplished and how, you will make yourself sound like every other medical school applicant. 

Most medical school applicants are involved in similar activities: research, clinical work, service, and social justice work. 

To stand out, you must write from the heart making it clear you haven’t marched through your premedical years and checking boxes.

We also strongly discourage applicants from using ChatGPT or any AI bot to write their medical school personal statement. Writing in your own voice is essential and using anything automated will undermine success.

The Medical School Personal Statement Secret

MedEdits students stand out in the medical school personal statement because in their personal statements they address:

WHY they have accomplished what they have.

In other words, they write in more detail about their passions, interests, and what is genuinely important to them. 

It sounds simple, we know, but by writing in a natural way, really zeroing in on WHY YOU DO WHAT YOU DO, you will appeal to a wide variety of people in a humanistic way. 

MedEdits students have done extremely well in the most recent medical school admissions cycle. Many of these applicants have below average “stats” for the medical schools from which they are receiving interviews and acceptances.

Why? How is that possible? They all have a few things in common:

• They write a narrative that is authentic and distinctive to them.
• They write a medical school personal statement with broad appeal (many different types of people will be evaluating your application; most are not physicians).
• They don’t try too hard to impress; instead they write about the most impactful experiences they have had on their path to medical school.
• They demonstrate they are humble, intellectual, compassionate, and committed to a career in medicine all at the same time.

Keep reading for a step by step approach to write your medical school personal statement.

“After sitting on a medical school admissions committee for many years, I can tell you, think strategically about how you want to present your personal “big picture.” We want to know who you are as a human being.”

As physicians, former medical school faculty, and medical school admissions committee members, this article will offer a step by step guide to simplify the medical school personal statement brainstorming and writing process.

By following the proven strategies outlined in this article, you will be and to write a personal statement that will earn you more medical school interviews . This proven approach has helped hundreds of medical school applicants get in to medical school the first time they apply!

Learn the 2024-2025 Medical School Personal Statement Prompts ( AMCAS , TMDSAS , AACOMAS )

The personal statement is the major essay portion of your primary application process. In it, you should describe yourself and your background, as well as any important early exposures to medicine, how and why medicine first piqued your interest, what you have done as a pre med, your personal experiences, and how you became increasingly fascinated with it. It’s also key to explain why medicine is the right career for you, in terms of both personal and intellectual fulfillment, and to show your commitment has continued to deepen as you learned more about the field.

The personal statement also offers you the opportunity to express who you are outside of medicine. What are your other interests? Where did you grow up? What did you enjoy about college? Figuring out what aspects of your background to highlight is important since this is one of your only chances to express to the med school admissions committee before your interview what is important to you and why.

However, it is important to consider the actual personal statement prompt for each system through which you will apply, AMCAS, AACOMAS, and TMDSAS, since each is slightly different.

Getting into a medical school has never been more competitive. Let the experts at MedEdits help you with your medical school application materials. We’ve worked with more than 5,000 students and 94% have been admitted to medical school.

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2024 AMCAS Personal Statement Prompt

The AMCAS personal statement instructions are as follows:

Use the Personal Comments Essay as an opportunity to distinguish yourself from other applicants. Consider and write your Personal Comments Essay carefully; many admissions committees place significant weight on the essay. Here are some questions that you may want to consider while writing the essay:

• Why have you selected the field of medicine?
• What motivates you to learn more about medicine?
• What do you want medical schools to know about you that hasn’t been disclosed in other sections of the application?

In addition, you may wish to include information such as:

• Unique hardships, challenges, or obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits
• Comments on significant fluctuations in your academic record that are not explained elsewhere in your application

As you can see, these prompts are not vague; there are fundamental questions that admissions committees want you to answer when writing your personal statement. While the content of your statement should be focused on medicine, answering the open ended third question is a bit trickier.

The AMCAS personal statement length is 5,300 characters with spaces maximum.

2024 TMDSAS Personal Statement Prompt

The TMDSAS personal statement is one of the most important pieces of your medical school application.

The TMDSAS personal statement prompt is as follows:

Explain your motivation to seek a career in medicine. Be sure to include the value of your experiences that prepare you to be a physician.

This TMDSAS prompt is very similar to the AMCAS personal statement prompt. The TMDSAS personal statement length is 5,000 characters with spaces whereas the AMCAS personal statement length is 5,300 characters with spaces. Most students use the same essay (with very minor modifications, if necessary) for both application systems.

You’ve been working hard on your med school application, reading medical school personal statement examples, editing, revising, editing and revising.  Make sure you know where you’re sending your personal statement and application.  Watch this important medical school admissions statistics video.

2024 AACOMAS Personal Statement Prompt

The AACOMAS personal statement is for osteopathic medical schools specifically. As with the AMCAS statement, you need to lay out your journey to medicine as chronologically as possible in 5,300 characters with spaces or less. So you essentially have the same story map as for an AMCAS statement. Most important, you must show you are interested in osteopathy specifically. Therefore, when trying to decide what to include or leave out, prioritize any osteopathy experiences you have had, or those that are in line with the osteopathic philosophy of the mind-body connection, the body as self-healing, and other tenets.

Medical School Application Timeline and When to Write your Personal Statement

If you’re applying to both allopathic and osteopathic schools, you can most likely use the same medical school personal statement for both AMCAS and AACOMAS. In fact, this is why AACOMAS changed the personal statement length to match the AMCAS length several years ago.

Most medical school personal statements can be used for AMCAS and AACOMAS.

Know the Required Medical School Personal Statement Length

Below are the medical schools personal statement length limits for each application system. As you can see, they are all very similar. When you start brainstorming and writing your personal statement, keep these limits in mind.

AMCAS Personal Statement Length : 5,300 characters with spaces.

As per the AAMC website :   “The available space for this essay is 5,300 characters (spaces are counted as characters), or approximately one page. You will receive an error message if you exceed the available space.”

AACOMAS Personal Statement Length : 5,300 characters with spaces

TMDSAS Personal Statement Length : 5,000 characters with spaces

As per the TMDSAS Website (Page 36): “The personal essay asks you to explain your motivation to seek a career in medicine. You are asked to include the value of your experiences that prepare you to be a physician. The essay is limited to 5000 characters, including spaces.”

Demonstrate Required Preprofessional Competencies

Next, your want to be aware of the nine preprofessional core competencies as outlined by the Association of American Medical Colleges . Medical school admissions committees want to see, as evidenced by your medical school personal statement and application, that you possess these qualities and characteristics. Now, don’t worry, medical school admissions committees don’t expect you to demonstrate all of them, but, you should demonstrate some.

• Service Orientation
• Social Skills
• Cultural Competence
• Oral Communication
• Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others
• Reliability and Dependability
• Resilience and Adaptability
• Capacity for Improvement

In your personal statement, you might be able to also demonstrate the four thinking and reasoning competencies:

• Critical Thinking
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Written Communication
• Scientific Inquiry

So, let’s think about how to address the personal statement prompts in a slightly different way while ensuring you demonstrate the preprofessional competencies. When writing your personal statement, be sure it answers the four questions that follow and you will “hit” most of the core competencies listed above.

1. What have you done that supports your interest in becoming a doctor?

I always advise applicants to practice “evidence based admissions.” The reader of your essay wants to see the “evidence” that you have done what is necessary to understand the practice of medicine. This includes clinical exposure, research, and community service, among other activities.

2. Why do you want to be a doctor?

This may seem pretty basic – and it is – but admissions officers need to know WHY you want to practice medicine. Many applicants make the mistake of simply listing what they have done without offering insights about those experiences that answer the question, “Why medicine?” Your reasons for wanting to be a doctor may overlap with those of other applicants. This is okay because the experiences in which you participated, the stories you can tell about those experiences, and the wisdom you gained are completely distinct—because they are only yours. 

“In admissions committee meetings we were always interested in WHY you wanted to earn a medical degree and how you would contribute to the medical school community.”

Medical school admissions committees want to know that you have explored your interest deeply and that you can reflect on the significance of these clinical experiences and volunteer work. But writing only that you “want to help people” does not support a sincere desire to become a physician; you must indicate why the medical profession in particular—rather than social work, teaching, or another “helping” profession—is your goal. 

3. How have your experiences influenced you?

It is important to show how your experiences are linked and how they have influenced you. How did your experiences motivate you? How did they affect what else you did in your life? How did your experiences shape your future goals? Medical school admissions committees like to see a sensible progression of involvements. While not every activity needs to be logically “connected” with another, the evolution of your interests and how your experiences have nurtured your future goals and ambitions show that you are motivated and committed.

4. Who are you as a person? What are your values and ideals?

Medical school admissions committees want to know about you as an individual beyond your interests in medicine, too. This is where answering that third open ended question in the prompt becomes so important. What was interesting about your background, youth, and home life? What did you enjoy most about college? Do you have any distinctive passions or interests? They want to be convinced that you are a good person beyond your experiences. Write about those topics that are unlikely to appear elsewhere in your statement that will offer depth and interest to your work and illustrate the qualities and characteristics you possess.

Related Articles:

• How to Get into Stanford Medical School
• How to Get into NYU Medical School
• How To Get Into Columbia Medical School
• How To Get Into UT Southwestern Medical School
• How To Get Into Harvard Medical School

Complete Your Personal Inventory and Outline (Example Below)

The bulk of your essay should be about your most valuable experiences, personal, academic, scholarly, clinical, academic and extracurricular activities that have impacted your path to medical school and through which you have learned about the practice of medicine. The best personal statements cover several topics and are not narrow in scope. Why is this important? Many different people with a variety of backgrounds, interests, and ideas of what makes a great medical student will be reading your essay. You want to make sure you essay has broad appeal.

The following exercise will help you to determine what experiences you should highlight in your personal statement. 

When composing your personal statement, keep in mind that you are writing, in effect, a “story” of how you arrived at this point in your life. But, unlike a “story” in the creative sense, yours must also offer convincing evidence for your decision to apply to medical school. Before starting your personal statement, create an experience- based personal inventory:

• Write down a list of the most important experiences in your life and your development. The list should be all inclusive and comprise those experiences that had the most impact on you. Put the list, which should consist of personal, extracurricular, and academic events, in chronological order.
• From this list, determine which experiences you consider the most important in helping you decide to pursue a career in medicine. This “experience oriented” approach will allow you to determine which experiences best illustrate the personal competencies admissions committees look for in your written documents. Remember that you must provide evidence for your interest in medicine and for most of the personal qualities and characteristics that medical school admissions committees want to see.
• After making your list, think about why each “most important” experience was influential and write that down. What did you observe? What did you learn? What insights did you gain? How  did the experience influence your path and choices?
• Then think of a story or illustration for why each experience was important.
• After doing this exercise, evaluate each experience for its significance and influence and for its “story” value. Choose to write about those experiences that not only were influential but that also will provide interesting reading, keeping in mind that  your goal is to weave the pertinent experiences together into a compelling story. In making your choices, think about how you will link each experience and transition from one topic to the next.
• Decide which of your listed experiences you will use for your introduction first (see below for more about your introduction). Then decide which experiences you will include in the body of your personal statement, create a general outline, and get writing!

Remember, you will also have your work and activities entries and your secondary applications to write in more detail about your experiences. Therefore, don’t feel you must pack everything in to your statement!

Craft a Compelling Personal Statement Introduction and Body

You hear conflicting advice about application essays. Some tell you not to open with a story. Others tell you to always begin with a story. Regardless of the advice you receive, be sure to do three things:

• Be true to yourself. Everyone will have an opinion regarding what you should and should not write. Follow your own instincts. Your personal statement should be a reflection of you, and only you.
• Start your personal statement with something catchy.  Think about the list of potential topics above.
• Don’t rush your work. Composing thoughtful documents takes time and you don’t want your writing and ideas to be sloppy and underdeveloped.

Most important is to begin with something that engages your reader. A narrative, a “story,” an anecdote written in the first or third person, is ideal. Whatever your approach, your first paragraph must grab your reader’s attention and motivate him to want to continue reading. I encourage applicants to start their personal statement by describing an experience that was especially influential in setting them on their path to medical school. This can be a personal or scholarly experience or an extracurricular one. Remember to avoid clichés and quotes and to be honest and authentic in your writing. Don’t try to be someone who you are not by trying to imitate personal statement examples you have read online or “tell them what you think they want to hear”; consistency is key and your interviewer is going to make sure that you are who you say you are!

When deciding what experiences to include in the body of your personal statement, go back to your personal inventory and identify those experiences that have been the most influential in your personal path and your path to medical school. Keep in mind that the reader wants to have an idea of who you are as a human being so don’t write your personal statement as a glorified resume. Include some information about your background and personal experiences that can give a picture of who you are as a person outside of the classroom or laboratory.

Ideally, you should choose two or three experiences to highlight in the body of your personal statement. You don’t want to write about all of your accomplishments; that is what your application entries are for!

Write Your Personal Statement Conclusion

In your conclusion, it is customary to “go full circle” by coming back to the topic—or anecdote—you introduced in the introduction, but this is not a must. Summarize why you want to be a doctor and address what you hope to achieve and your goals for medical school. Write a conclusion that is compelling and will leave the reader wanting to meet you.

Complete Personal Statement Checklist

When reading your medical school personal statement be sure it:

Shows insight and introspection

The best medical school personal statements tell a great deal about what you have learned through your experiences and the insights you have gained.

You want to tell your story by highlighting those experiences that have been the most influential on your path to medical school and to give a clear sense of chronology. You want your statement always to be logical and never to confuse your reader.

Is interesting and engaging

The best personal statements engage the reader. This doesn’t mean you must use big words or be a literary prize winner. Write in your own language and voice, but really think about your journey to medical school and the most intriguing experiences you have had.

Gives the reader a mental image of who you are

You want the reader to be able to envision you as a caregiver and a medical professional. You want to convey that you would be a compassionate provider at the bedside – someone who could cope well with crisis and adversity.

Illustrates your passion for, and commitment to, medicine

Your reader must be convinced that you are excited about and committed to a career in medicine!

Above all, your personal statement should be about you. Explain to your reader what you have done and why you want to be a doctor with insight, compassion, and understanding.

Medical School Personal Statement Myths

Also keep in mind some common myths about personal statements that I hear quite often:

My personal statement must have a theme.

Not true. The vast majority of personal statements do not have themes. In fact, most are somewhat autobiographical and are just as interesting as those statements that are woven around a “theme.” It is only the very talented writer who can creatively write a personal statement around a theme, and this approach often backfires since the applicant fails to answer the three questions above.

My personal statement must be no longer than one page.

Not true. This advice is antiquated and dates back to the days of the written application when admissions committees flipped through pages. If your personal statement is interesting and compelling, it is fine to use the entire allotted space. The application systems have incorporated limits for exactly this reason! Many students, depending on their unique circumstances, can actually undermine their success by limiting their personal statement to a page. That said, never max out a space just for the sake of doing so. Quality writing and perspectives are preferable to quantity.

My personal statement should not describe patient encounters or my personal medical experiences.

Not true. Again, the actual topics on which you focus in your personal statement are less important than the understanding you gained from those experiences. I have successful clients who have written extremely powerful and compelling personal statements that included information about clinical encounters – both personal and professional. Write about whichever experiences were the most important on your path to medicine. It’s always best, however, to avoid spending too much space on childhood and high school activities. Focus instead on those that are more current.

In my personal statement I need to sell myself.

Not exactly true. You never want to boast in your personal statement. Let your experiences, insights, and observations speak for themselves. You want your reader to draw the conclusion – on his or her own – that you have the qualities and characteristics the medical school seeks. Never tell what qualities and characteristics you possess; let readers draw these conclusions on their own based on what you write.

Medical School Personal Statement Examples and Analysis for Inspiration

Below are examples of actual medical school personal statements. You can also likely find medical school personal statements on Reddit.

AMCAS Medical School Personal Statement Example and Analysis #1 with Personal Inventory  

We will use Amy to illustrate the general process of writing an application to medical school, along with providing the resulting documents. Amy will first list those experiences, personal, extracurricular, and scholarly, that have been most influential in two areas: her life in general and her path to medical school. She will put this personal inventory in chronologic order for use in composing her personal statement.

She will then select those experiences that were the most significant to her and will reflect and think about why they were important. For her application entries, Amy will write about each experience, including those that she considers influential in her life but not in her choice of medicine, in her application entries. Experiences that Amy will not write about in her activity entries or her personal statement are those that she does not consider most influential in either her life or in her choice of medicine.

Amy’s personal inventory (from oldest to most recent)

• Going with my mom to work. She is a surgeon — I was very curious about what she did. I was intrigued by the relationships she had with patients and how much they valued her efforts. I also loved seeing her as “a doctor” since, to me, she was just “mom.”
• I loved biology in high school. I started to think seriously about medicine then. It was during high school that I became fascinated with biology and how the human body worked. I would say that was when I thought, “Hmm, maybe I should be a doctor.”
• Grandmother’s death, senior year of high school. My grandmother’s death was tragic. It was the first time I had ever seen someone close to me suffer. It was one of the most devastating experiences in my life.
• Global Health Trip to Guatemala my freshman year of college. I realized after going to Guatemala that I had always taken my access to health care for granted. Here I saw children who didn’t have basic health care. This made me want to become a physician so I could give more to people like those I met in Guatemala.
• Sorority involvement. Even though sorority life might seem trivial, I loved it. I learned to work with different types of people and gained some really valuable leadership experience.
• Poor grades in college science classes. I still regret that I did badly in my science classes. I think I was immature and was also too involved in other activities and didn’t have the focus I needed to do well. I had a 3.4 undergraduate GPA.
• Teaching and tutoring Jose, a child from Honduras. In a way, meeting Jose in a college tutoring program brought my Guatemala experience to my home. Jose struggled academically, and his parents were immigrants and spoke only Spanish, so they had their own challenges. I tried to help Jose as much as I could. I saw that because he lacked resources, he was at a tremendous disadvantage.
• Volunteering at Excellent Medical Center. Shadowing physicians at the medical center gave me a really broad view of medicine. I learned about different specialties, met many different patients, and saw both great and not-so-great physician role models. Counselor at Ronald McDonald House. Working with sick kids made me appreciate my health. I tried to make them happy and was so impressed with their resilience. It made me realize that good health is everything.
• Oncology research. Understanding what happens behind the scenes in research was fascinating. Not only did I gain some valuable research experience, but I learned how research is done.
• Peer health counselor. Communicating with my peers about really important medical tests gave me an idea of the tremendous responsibility that doctors have. I also learned that it is important to be sensitive, to listen, and to be open-minded when working with others.
• Clinical Summer Program. This gave me an entirely new view of medicine. I worked with the forensics department, and visiting scenes of deaths was entirely new to me. This experience added a completely new dimension to my understanding of medicine and how illness and death affect loved ones.
• Emergency department internship. Here I learned so much about how things worked in the hospital. I realized how important it was that people who worked in the clinical department were involved in creating hospital policies. This made me understand, in practical terms, how an MPH would give me the foundation to make even more change in the future.
• Master’s in public health. I decided to get an MPH for two reasons. First of all, I knew my undergraduate science GPA was an issue so I figured that graduate level courses in which I performed well would boost my record. I don’t think I will write this on my application, but I also thought the degree would give me other skills if I didn’t get into medical school, and I knew it would also give me something on which I could build during medical school and in my career since I was interested in policy work.

As you can see from Amy’s personal inventory list, she has many accomplishments that are important to her and influenced her path. The most influential personal experience that motivated her to practice medicine was her mother’s career as a practicing physician, but Amy was also motivated by watching her mother’s career evolve. Even though the death of her grandmother was devastating for Amy, she did not consider this experience especially influential in her choice to attend medical school so she didn’t write about it in her personal statement.

Amy wrote an experience-based personal statement, rich with anecdotes and detailed descriptions, to illustrate the evolution of her interest in medicine and how this motivated her to also earn a master’s in public health.

Amy’s Medical School Personal Statement Example:

She was sprawled across the floor of her apartment. Scattered trash, decaying food, alcohol bottles, medication vials, and cigarette butts covered the floor. I had just graduated from college, and this was my first day on rotation with the forensic pathology department as a Summer Scholar, one of my most valuable activities on the path to medical school. As the coroner deputy scanned the scene for clues to what caused this woman’s death, I saw her distraught husband. I did not know what to say other than “I am so sorry.” I listened intently as he repeated the same stories about his wife and his dismay that he never got to say goodbye. The next day, alongside the coroner as he performed the autopsy, I could not stop thinking about the grieving man.

Discerning a cause of death was not something I had previously associated with the practice of medicine. As a child, I often spent Saturday mornings with my mother, a surgeon, as she rounded on patients. I witnessed the results of her actions, as she provided her patients a renewed chance at life. I grew to honor and respect my mother’s profession. Witnessing the immense gratitude of her patients and their families, I quickly came to admire the impact she was able to make in the lives of her patients and their loved ones.

I knew I wanted to pursue a career in medicine as my mother had, and throughout high school and college I sought out clinical, research, and volunteer opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of medicine. After volunteering with cancer survivors at Camp Ronald McDonald, I was inspired to further understand this disease. Through my oncology research, I learned about therapeutic processes for treatment development. Further, following my experience administering HIV tests, I completed research on point-of-care HIV testing, to be instituted throughout 26 hospitals and clinics. I realized that research often served as a basis for change in policy and medical practice and sought out opportunities to learn more about both.

All of my medically related experiences demonstrated that people who were ‘behind the scenes’ and had limited or no clinical background made many of the decisions in health care. Witnessing the evolution of my mother’s career further underscored the impact of policy change on the practice of medicine. In particular, the limits legislation imposed on the care she could provide influenced my perspective and future goals. Patients whom my mother had successfully treated for more than a decade, and with whom she had long-standing, trusting relationships, were no longer able to see her, because of policy coverage changes. Some patients, frustrated by these limitations, simply stopped seeking the care they needed. As a senior in college, I wanted to understand how policy transformations came about and gain the tools I would need to help effect administrative and policy changes in the future as a physician. It was with this goal in mind that I decided to complete a master’s in public health program before applying to medical school.

As an MPH candidate, I am gaining insight into the theories and practices behind the complex interconnections of the healthcare system; I am learning about economics, operations, management, ethics, policy, finance, and technology and how these entities converge to impact delivery of care. A holistic understanding of this diverse, highly competitive, market-driven system will allow me, as a clinician, to find solutions to policy, public health, and administration issues. I believe that change can be more effective if those who actually practice medicine also decide where improvements need to be made.

For example, as the sole intern for the emergency department at County Medical Center, I worked to increase efficiency in the ED by evaluating and mapping patient flow. I tracked patients from point of entry to point of discharge and found that the discharge process took up nearly 35% of patients’ time. By analyzing the reasons for this situation, in collaboration with nurses and physicians who worked in the ED and had an intimate understanding of what took place in the clinical area, I was able to make practical recommendations to decrease throughput time. The medical center has already implemented these suggestions, resulting in decreased length of stays. This example illustrates the benefit of having clinicians who work ‘behind the scenes’ establish policies and procedures, impacting operational change and improving patient care. I will also apply what I have learned through this project as the business development intern at Another Local Medical Center this summer, where I will assist in strategic planning, financial analysis, and program reviews for various clinical departments.

Through my mother’s career and my own medical experiences, I have become aware of the need for clinician administrators and policymakers. My primary goal as a physician will be to care for patients, but with the knowledge and experience I have gained through my MPH, I also hope to effect positive public policy and administrative changes.

What’s Good About Amy’s Medical School Personal Statement:  

Paragraphs 1 and 2: Amy started her personal statement by illustrating a powerful experience she had when she realized that medical caregivers often feel impotent, and how this contrasted with her understanding of medicine as a little girl going with her mother to work. Recognition of this intense contrast also highlights Amy’s maturity.

Paragraph 3: Amy then “lists” a few experiences that were important to her.

Paragraph 4: Amy describes the commonality in some of her experiences and how her observations were substantiated by watching the evolution of her mother’s practice. She then explains how this motivated her to earn an MPH so she could create change more effectively as a physician than as a layman.

Paragraph 5: Amy then explains how her graduate degree is helping her to better understand the “issues in medicine” that she observed.

Paragraph 6: Amy then describes one exceptional accomplishment she had that highlights what she has learned and how she has applied it.

Paragraph 7: Finally, Amy effectively concludes her personal statement and summarizes the major topics addressed in her essay.

As you can see, Amy’s statement has excellent flow, is captivating and unusual, and illustrates her understanding of, and commitment to, medicine. She also exhibits, throughout her application entries and statement, the personal competencies, characteristics, and qualities that medical school admissions officers are seeking. Her application also has broad appeal; reviewers who are focused on research, cultural awareness, working with the underserved, health administration and policy, teaching, or clinical medicine would all find it of interest.

med school personal statement examples

Osteopathic Medical School Personal Statement Example and Analysis #2

Medical School Personal Statement Example Background: This is a nontraditional applicant who applied to osteopathic medical schools. With a 500 and a 504 on the MCAT , he needed to showcase how his former career and what he learned through his work made him an asset. He also needed to convey why osteopathic medicine was an ideal fit for him. The student does an excellent job illustrating his commitment to medicine and explaining why and how he made the well-informed decision to leave his former career to pursue a career in osteopathic medicine.

What’s Good About It: A nontraditional student with a former career, this applicant does a great job outlining how and why he decided to pursue a career in medicine. Clearly dedicated to service, he also does a great job making it clear he is a good fit for osteopathic medical school and understands this distinctions of osteopathic practice.. 

Working as a police officer, one comes to expect the unexpected, but sometimes, when the unexpected happens, one can’t help but be surprised. In November 20XX, I had been a police officer for two years when my partner and I happened to be nearby when a man had a cardiac emergency in Einstein Bagels. Entering the restaurant, I was caught off guard by the lifeless figure on the floor, surrounded by spilled food. Time paused as my partner and I began performing CPR, and my heart raced as I watched color return to the man’s pale face.

Luckily, paramedics arrived within minutes to transport him to a local hospital. Later, I watched as the family thanked the doctors who gave their loved one a renewed chance at life. That day, in the “unexpected,” I confirmed that I wanted to become a physician, something that had attracted me since childhood.

I have always been enthralled by the science of medicine and eager to help those in need but, due to life events, my path to achieving this dream has been long. My journey began following high school when I joined the U.S. Army. I was immature and needed structure, and I knew the military was an opportunity to pursue my medical ambitions. I trained as a combat medic and requested work in an emergency room of an army hospital. At the hospital, I started IVs, ran EKGs, collected vital signs, and assisted with codes. I loved every minute as I was directly involved in patient care and observed physicians methodically investigating their patients’ signs and symptoms until they reached a diagnosis. Even when dealing with difficult patients, the physicians I worked with maintained composure, showing patience and understanding while educating patients about their diseases. I observed physicians not only as clinicians but also as teachers. As a medic, I learned that I loved working with patients and being part of the healthcare team, and I gained an understanding of acute care and hospital operations.

Following my discharge in 20XX, I transferred to an army reserve hospital and continued as a combat medic until 20XX. Working as a medic at several hospitals and clinics in the area, I was exposed to osteopathic medicine and the whole body approach to patient care. I was influenced by the D.O.s’ hands-on treatment and their use of manipulative medicine as a form of therapy. I learned that the body cannot function properly if there is dysfunction in the musculoskeletal system.

In 20XX, I became a police officer to support myself as I finished my undergraduate degree and premed courses. While working the streets, I continued my patient care experiences by being the first to care for victims of gunshot wounds, stab wounds, car accidents, and other medical emergencies. In addition, I investigated many unknown causes of death with the medical examiner’s office. I often found signs of drug and alcohol abuse and learned the dangers and power of addiction. In 20XX, I finished my undergraduate degree in education and in 20XX, I completed my premed courses.

Wanting to learn more about primary care medicine, in 20XX I volunteered at a community health clinic that treats underserved populations. Shadowing a family physician, I learned about the physical exam as I looked into ears and listened to the hearts and lungs of patients with her guidance. I paid close attention as she expressed the need for more PCPs and the important roles they play in preventing disease and reducing ER visits by treating and educating patients early in the disease process. This was evident as numerous patients were treated for high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and diabetes, all conditions that can be resolved or improved by lifestyle changes. I learned that these changes are not always easy for many in underserved populations as healthier food is often more expensive and sometimes money for prescriptions is not available. This experience opened my eyes to the challenges of being a physician in an underserved area.

The idea of disease prevention stayed with me as I thought about the man who needed CPR. Could early detection and education about heart disease have prevented his “unexpected” cardiac event? My experiences in health care and law enforcement have confirmed my desire to be an osteopathic physician and to treat the patients of the local area. I want to eliminate as many medical surprises as I can.

Texas Medical School Personal Statement Example and Analysis #3

Medical School Personal Statement Example Background: This applicant, who grew up with modest means, should be an inspiration to us all. Rather than allowing limited resources to stand in his way, he took advantage of everything that was available to him. He commuted to college from home and had a part-time job so he was stretched thin, and his initial college performance suffered. However, he worked hard and his grades improved. Most medical school admissions committees seek out applicants like this because, by overcoming adversity and succeeding with limited resources, they demonstrate exceptional perseverance, maturity, and dedication. His accomplishments are, by themselves, impressive and he does an outstanding job of detailing his path, challenges, and commitment to medicine. He received multiple acceptances to top medical schools and was offered scholarships.

What’s Good About It: This student does a great job opening his personal statement with a beautifully written introduction that immediately takes the reader to Central America. He then explains his path, why he did poorly early in college, and goes on to discuss his academic interests and pursuits. He is also clearly invested in research and articulates that he is intellectually curious, motivated, hard working, compassionate and committed to a career in medicine by explaining his experiences using interesting language and details. This is an intriguing statement that makes clear the applicant is worthy of an interview invitation. Finally, the student expresses his interest in attending medical school in Texas.

They were learning the basics of carpentry and agriculture. The air was muggy and hot, but these young boys seemed unaffected, though I and my fellow college students sweated and often complained. As time passed, I started to have a greater appreciation for the challenges these boys faced. These orphans, whom I met and trained in rural Central America as a member of The Project, had little. They dreamed of using these basic skills to earn a living wage. Abandoned by their families, they knew this was their only opportunity to re-enter society as self- sufficient individuals. I stood by them in the fields and tutored them after class. And while I tried my best to instill in them a strong work ethic, it was the boys who instilled in me a desire to help those in need. They gave me a new perspective on my decision to become a doctor.

I don’t know exactly when I decided to become a physician; I have had this goal for a long time. I grew up in the inner city of A City, in Texas and attended magnet schools. My family knew little about higher education, and I learned to seek out my own opportunities and advice. I attended The University with the goal of gaining admission to medical school. When I started college, I lacked the maturity to focus on academics and performed poorly. Then I traveled to Central America. Since I was one of the few students who spoke Spanish, many of the boys felt comfortable talking with me. They saw me as a role model.

The boys worked hard so that they could learn trades that would help them to be productive members of society. It was then I realized that my grandparents, who immigrated to the US so I would have access to greater opportunities, had done the same. I felt like I was wasting what they had sacrificed for me. When I returned to University in the fall, I made academics my priority and committed myself to learn more about medicine .

Through my major in neuroscience, I strengthened my understanding of how we perceive and experience life. In systems neurobiology, I learned the physiology of the nervous system. Teaching everything from basic neural circuits to complex sensory pathways, Professor X provided me with the knowledge necessary to conduct research in Parkinson’s disease. My research focused on the ability of antioxidants to prevent the onset of Parkinson’s, and while my project was only a pilot study at the time, Professor X encouraged me to present it at the National Research Conference. During my senior year, I developed the study into a formal research project, recruiting the help of professors of statistics and biochemistry.

Working at the School of Medicine reinforced my analytical skills. I spent my summer in the department of emergency medicine, working with the department chair, Dr. Excellent. Through Dr. Excellent’s mentorship, I participated in a retrospective study analyzing patient charts to determine the efficacy of D-dimer assays in predicting blood clots. The direct clinical relevance of my research strengthened my commitment and motivated my decision to seek out more clinical research opportunities.

A growing awareness of the role of human compassion in healing has also influenced my choice to pursue a career in medicine. It is something no animal model or cell culture can ever duplicate or rival. Working in clinical research has allowed me to see the selflessness of many physicians and patients and their mutual desire to help others. As a research study assistant in the department of surgery, I educate and enroll patients in clinical trials. One such study examines the role of pre-operative substance administration in tumor progression. Patients enrolled in this study underwent six weeks of therapy before having the affected organ surgically excised. Observing how patients were willing to participate in this research to benefit others helped me understand the resiliency of the human spirit.

Working in clinical trials has enabled me to further explore my passion for science, while helping others. Through my undergraduate coursework and participation in volunteer groups I have had many opportunities to solidify my goal to become a physician. As I am working, I sometimes think about my second summer in Central America. I recall how one day, after I had turned countless rows of soil in scorching heat, one of the boys told me that I was a trabajador verdadero—a true worker. I paused as I realized the significance of this comment. While the boy may not have been able to articulate it, he knew I could identify with him. What the boy didn’t know, however, was that had my grandparents not decided to immigrate to the US, I would not have the great privilege of seizing opportunities in this country and writing this essay today. I look forward to the next step of my education and hope to return home to Texas where I look forward to serving the communities I call home.

Final Thoughts

Above all, and as stated in this article numerous times, your personal statement should be authentic and genuine. Write about your path and and journey to this point in your life using anecdotes and observations to intrigue the reader and illustrate what is and was important to you. Good luck!

Medical School Personal Statement Help & Consulting

If all this information has you staring at your screen like a deer in the headlights, you’re not alone. Writing a superb medical school personal statement can be a daunting task, and many applicants find it difficult to get started writing, or to express everything they want to say succinctly. That’s where MedEdits can help. You don’t have to have the best writing skills to compose a stand-out statement. From personal-statement editing alone to comprehensive packages for all your medical school application needs, we offer extensive support and expertise developed from working with thousands of successful medical school applicants. We can’t promise applying to medical school will be stress-free, but most clients tell us it’s a huge relief not to have to go it alone.

MedEdits offers personal statement consulting and editing. Our goal when working with students is to draw out what makes each student distinctive. How do we do this? We will explore your background and upbringing, interests and ideals as well as your accomplishments and activities. By helping you identify the most distinguishing aspects of who you are, you will then be able to compose an authentic and genuine personal statement in your own voice to capture the admissions committee’s attention so you are invited for a medical school interview. Our unique brainstorming methodology has helped hundreds of aspiring premeds gain acceptance to medical school.

Sample Medical School Personal Statement

Example Medical School Personal Statement

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Medicine: Anatomy of a Personal Statement

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Below is a personal statement from a recent applicant for A100 Medicine at Oxford. It is not perfect and it may not be suited to every medical school. There is no single template for success in terms of an application to Oxford. Other styles can be equally effective: we encourage individuality and diversity in our students. This statement is however a good example for an Oxford application because it helps us see that the applicant is attempting to match our selection criteria .

An applicant's personal statement is likely to be discussed by tutors during interview.

A well-written statement will not in isolation gain you an interview or a place. It forms one part of an application from a gifted applicant that can be considered alongside other information - academic record, BMAT score, school reference, interview performance - in the selection process at Oxford.

Statement & comments

Choosing to study medicine is not a decision I have taken lightly. It isn't a career I have wanted to do since a particularly young age, nor did a life changing event prompt my choice. I have thought very long and hard before deciding to apply.

At first glance, this might seem like a down-beat opening paragraph. Although you may think that an arresting opening statement will impress, admissions tutors may be sceptical of exaggerated descriptions of a revelatory moment or lifelong desire to become a doctor. This introduction shows honesty and a degree of introspection. Throughout the statement, the applicant works hard to show that they have a realistic view of medicine. You won't prove that you have the motivation for medicine by simply saying that you do: it is what you have done to inform yourself about the career - and the views that you have formed - that will convince us that you really know what being a doctor is like and that this is what you want to do.

Various periods of work experience have taught me much about the career. A local hospital placement gave me the opportunity to visit A&E, Radiology and Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

You won't prove that you have the motivation for medicine by simply saying that you do.

Whilst fleeting, these visits to the departments highlighted the variety and diversity of the fascinating specialities medicine encompasses. A placement shadowing a clinic staff was hugely informative regarding daily life as a doctor. During the day I sat in on consultations ranging from routine post natal checkups to discussions of treatment for young people with diabetes and overactive thyroid glands.

This student describes their experiences of healthcare that have helped them decide that they want to study and practise medicine. We understand that opportunities to obtain experience vary, so you won't be judged on what you've done: we want to know what you learned from doing it. The description of the placements here isn't over-exaggerated, and the applicant takes care to explain what they have seen and done and the insight each opportunity afforded them. The relatively detailed account of the infant's check-up conveys the impression of engagement during the placement and suggests an intellectual curiosity to understand the infant's condition and its treatment. The applicant also takes care to point out an example of the importance of good communication skills and argues how their sales position has helped them develop such skills.

Throughout my time there the doctor's genuine interest in his cases and unfaltering motivation highlighted to me the privilege of having such a stimulating profession. This, together with the ever advancing nature of a career in medicine, was brought to the fore by an infant who was having a check up as a result of her being put on an ECMO machine after her birth with Meconium Aspiration Syndrome. The ease with which the doctor broached and dealt with sensitive subject matter also emphasised the importance of a warm, approachable manner and an ability to communicate to a person on their level of understanding. I believe I have honed these skills and gained invaluable experience of the eccentricities of the general public myself in my job as a salesperson.

It is important to convey an impression of engagement and intellectual curiosity when talking about any work experience/placement/voluntary work.

Since February of this year I have volunteered in a care home for a couple of hours each week. I assist with serving meals to the residents as well as feeding one of the more infirm ladies. My time there has brought to my attention the more unpleasant side of medicine and has proved by far the most useful work experience I have had; preparing me for the stark realities of physical ageing and senility. In spite of this, I genuinely enjoy my time there; giving residents, some of whom go months without visitors, 10 minutes of my time to chat can be very rewarding in the obvious enjoyment they get from it. The experience has shown me very clearly the importance of caring for the emotional as well as the physical needs of patients.

This paragraph reaffirms the applicant's motivation for medicine. They admit that working in a nursing home is not glamorous but explain how rewarding it has been. There is evidence of analytical skills here and there is no doubt that the applicant has become well-informed about the realities of healthcare. Empathy comes across as well, with the applicant recognising that a brief interaction can have such a positive effect on the overlooked residents of the home.

Outside of my lessons I enjoy orienteering with a local club. As part of an expedition I took part in, we walked 80km over 4 days in torrential rain. The challenging conditions demanded teamwork and trust to maintain morale and perform effectively as a group; as well as calm rational thought in stressful situations. Also, through this activity and the people I met, I have become a member of the SJA which has enabled me to gain first aid qualifications and go out on duties.

Although the bulk of a personal statement should be academic-related, it is important to show a life outside of studying. The involvement in a club or association demonstrates wider spare time interests, and the description of the challenging walking expedition provides evidence that the student can work with others and can cope in an arduous situation, obliquely suggesting that they might have the capacity for sustained and intense work . The student also shows that they understand that taking time out to relax and manage any stress is important, and conveys the impression of good time management. The passing reference to the drama group reinforces the impression that this applicant is a team-player. It is useful to describe sporting or musical interests although, as, this applicant shows, these non-academic interests don't need to be particularly high-powered ones.

Other activities I enjoy include drama - I was a member of a local group for 6 years - cycling and playing the guitar and piano which allow me to relax.

Non-academic interests don't need to be particularly high-powered.

I know that medicine is not a "9 to 5" job and is by no means the glamorous source of easy money it is often perceived to be. I understand the hours are long and potentially antisocial and that the career can be physically exhausting and emotionally draining. It is apparent that becoming a medic will involve inherent sacrifice.

However medicine is also a deeply gratifying and fascinating career path. I want to be a medic because my passion and aptitude is foremost scientific and to me 5 or 6 years more of formal education followed by a lifetime of further learning sounds like a stimulating career option and, thankfully, a far cry from the monotony some jobs pose. Nevertheless, as an intrinsically social person, I would relish a career requiring the development of strong empathic relationships with patients too. Crucially, I know I have the enthusiasm, capacity for hard work and the open and enquiring mind needed to succeed in such a fulfilling vocation.

In the concluding paragraphs, the statement is emphasising that, although aware of the negative aspects associated with the practice of medicine, fact-finding placements have given the applicant the insight and motivation to be certain that it is the right career for them. The applicant ends by summarising the key personal attributes that they believe make them well-suited to medicine.

Verdict and advice for improvement

Of course, there is room for improvement with this statement. No reference is made to the scientific subjects that are being studied at school or to particular modules that the applicant has found particularly exciting: this could have helped convey enthusiasm and curiosity in science. Although the applicant asserts that they have an 'open and enquiring mind', there is no description of any extracurricular project or reading that the applicant might have undertaken, perhaps to help them understand a highly-charged ethical issue.

Despite those omissions, this is an effective personal statement. It is well constructed, connects with the reader, and the material flows in a logical sequence. It further conveys the impression that the applicant has done the research and knows exactly what is in store: they are not applying with a naive view or because that is what is expected of them. Writing a statement along these lines would provide a good foundation for a competitive applicant and offers lots of material that can be discussed at an interview.

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UCAS personal statement for Graduate Entry to medicine

UCAS personal statements are used differently by each medical school. Some medical schools use personal statements after looking at pre-entry test results, others include them in their initial short-listing, either way, it is an important part of your application.

Key elements to include:

• Motivation for medicine – what makes medicine right for you?
• Approach to academic learning – what has helped you be successful during your first/previous degree/s?
• Relevant skills – how have you developed these, what do they say about you as a potential clinician? The skills can come from any aspect of your experience – they don’t have to be based on clinically-related experience
• Career aspirations – how does medicine fit with how you see your future?

How to write your personal statement

• Ensure you spend time reflecting on your skills and experiences. Learning from what has gone before and how you have done things is central to both learning on a medicine degree and continuing professional development as a clinician. You may want to ask other people what they feel are your strengths and when they have seen you using these strengths. Feedback from others can be useful to capture things we don’t yet know about ourselves.
• Always use examples from your own experience. If you are saying that you wish to study medicine to provide a service to humankind – explain where this motivation has come from, what other experiences have you had of ‘service’, how did you decide that medicine would be the right sort of ‘service’?
• Check your writing. If a sentence does not include something about your own experience, consider if it is really needed (or whether you can rewrite it to include experience).
• Check your writing for typing errors, spelling, and making sense. Get someone else to proof-read your personal statement for you (the Careers Service does not offer this service, ask a friend or relative who writes well).

The Medical Schools Council has devised skills and attributes of an ideal medical school candidate . You could use this list as a starting point to reflect on what examples highlight these skills for you.

Top tips: Medicmind personal statement

Examples of successful statements:

• University Compare: Example Medicine personal statements
• University of Oxford - Medicine: Anatomy of a personal statement
• 6Med: Medicine personal statement inspiration
• Aspiring Medics: Medicine personal statement
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Annual report 18/19

• Jun 21, 2020
• 19 min read

Example Personal Statements - Graduate Entry Medical School

We have collected a few Graduate entry personal statements for you as many of you have asked. The personal statements are from students who all received offers at medical schools for the graduate entry course. We have presented them under the undergraduate degree the student studied before Medicine. These degrees are not an exhaustive list.

Remember, these personal statements are not 'perfect' - 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.

Biomedical Sciences

I view medicine as a career with a diverse range of roles that all ultimately care for and improve people’s health. This diversity is why I want to be a doctor because I will care for patients, whilst learning, educating and problem solving. As a doctor I would work in a team to provide effective healthcare, where everyone counts and are treated with respect, dignity and compassion. I believe I have what it takes to work to these values as a practitioner, scientist, scholar and professional.

Alongside my degree in Medical Science, I have shadowed in clinic and ward environments to contextualise my understanding. I manage my time effectively with working in retail, volunteering at St Stephens day care centre during term and St Giles Hospice during vacations both on the ward and by teaching young adults about end of life care. From these, I have developed a strong skill set for working in healthcare. Over the past 16 months I shadowed an obstetrician and gynaecologist once a month. I saw patients more than once and appreciated the importance of developing strong doctor-patient relations, and how treatment is a balance between treating the pathology and quality of life. After observing the doctor, I developed the ability to tailor my approach to individuals whilst maintaining dignity and respect.

During a week in ENT and CDU at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, I noticed how oral and written communication within the NHS multi-disciplinary team is vital for delivering the best patient-centred care. I gained an insight into the demands of a junior doctor’s routine and I was inspired by the teamwork between all staff levels that makes a doctor’s job possible. I saw the importance of being honest, compassionate and clear when talking to patients. I admired one doctor’s humanity and reassurance during a conversation with a COPD patient regarding resuscitation, as he ensured the patient would continue to receive the best care. It highlighted that whatever a person’s situation – everyone counts.

I experienced the emotional challenges of birth and death when I was awarded a bursary to work in a Tanzanian hospital for two weeks in 2015. The experience developed my resilience and ability to maintain focus in stressful environments and showed me medicine is not glamorous, but is rewarding. I realise the challenges of healthcare, but I was inspired by being part of making patients’ lives more positive.

I was awarded a competitive 8 week studentship by the Lister Institute where

I worked on patient fibroblasts with mutant DNA repair protein Treslin; where my work will contribute towards a publication. I prioritised and organised myself to carry out experiments, became resilient when faced with problems and became able to effectively analyse data to draw conclusions. I can translate these skills to treating patients as I witnessed doctors using them to provide good care. Evidence based medicine is important for improving patient care, and I have the skills to help me continue researching as a medical student and an academic doctor, as well as giving me an awareness of how research changes practise.

Experience being a retail team leader for 4 years and student ambassador for my undergraduate programme has given me the communication and teamwork skills to confidently communicate with a range of people and work under pressure. I have responsibility of leading a team by being president of the university Blood Donation Society, to increase the number of student donors and fundraise. I spend my free time riding horses and weightlifting; both allow me to focus on something I find relaxing and enjoyable, but require dedication, resilience and determination.

 Although it will be challenging, I have demonstrated that I can make a positive contribution to an academic programme and I would continue this enthusiasm in my medical degree. I would take my studies seriously, demonstrating dedication and an attitude that reflects the values of the NHS Constitution.

My desire to study medicine cannot be attributed to a single phenomenon or traced back to a precise ‘lightbulb-flashing’ moment. Instead, it is steadfast and evolving, honed by years of commitment and curiosity - which resonates in the valuable NHS experiences I have seized. I enjoyed studying the complex elements driving health and disease states throughout my Biomedical Science degree, which I earned First Class Honours in; but I knew that my interests lay beyond the confines of the lab. Each module fascinated me but learning through pro-sections in Human Anatomy was a particular highlight, which led me to return this year as a practical demonstrator.

Working alongside my studies was a challenge I overcame with meticulous time management. My role as anti-coagulation assistant, since June 2015, gives me a realistic grasp of what working in the NHS means. Daily, I overcome the challenges of working in an understaffed department with efficiency and patience. An example is when I noted the detrimental effects of an outdated clinic diary system; I took the initiative to create and apply a new template, which has since improved patient waiting times considerably. Effective communication is essential, as I liaise with members of the multi-disciplinary team to manage patients. I work carefully to safeguard patient confidentiality, as I independently prioritise and process referrals to create clinics. This requires plenty of responsibility, as does conducting INR testing in clinics, where I also support my team of nurse specialists in counselling patients. This patient exposure is deeply rewarding; it is heart-warming to see the 82-year-old lady who gets up at 6am to look her best for us, or the waving gentleman with failing eyesight who still spots me from afar. Besides humbling me, these moments serve as the strongest incentive to keep going in the face of drawbacks.

My work experiences were also insightful and consolidated my career choice. Assisting in consultant-led haematology clinics, I noted that by showing interest in the patient and maintaining eye contact, the clinician built a relationship of mutual understanding. Furthermore, techniques such as summarising and signposting gathered information quickly and effectively to guide treatment. Contrarily, whilst shadowing my local GP I was reacquainted with the unpredictability of disease during a consultation with a young girl, whose brain tumour had diminished her quality of life. Putting my sadness aside, I observed the GP’s professional detachment and reflected on the importance of being resilient in this career. I also faced challenges whilst volunteering as a dining companion on the wards, when certain patients would refuse food despite their malnourished state. I tried my best to feed patients/promote eating, but sometimes I had to walk away and respect the patient’s autonomy, even though it went against my instincts.

I consider myself to be a compassionate person. This is reflected in my role as a part time carer for my grandfather, to whom I provide everyday support in hygiene and administering medication. I also make time for charities such as Humanity First, Breast Cancer care and Team Up. My participation ranges from marshalling at walks, to working behind the scenes in logistics. Recently, I had the privilege of being appointed Youth Group leader for young girls in my local community. I mentor the girls weekly in workshops, tackling issues such as bullying, teaching Urdu, baking, and arts and crafts.

My hobbies include swimming and horse-riding, as they are fun ways to stay fit. I also enjoy reading stimulating literature – recently I read “The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks”, which enlightened me on the evolution of medical ethics and the importance of informed consent. I am confident a medical career is right for me. I recognise there will be challenges, but I believe that my realistic expectations, maturity, and resolve, allow me the capability to overcome these. I hope you will allow me the opportunity to prove so.

Biomedical Sciences with a PhD

One image that has stuck with me is of a gentleman gripping the table as he learned of his cancer diagnosis. The experience highlighted how a doctors job is as much breaking bad news as it is treating people. It took place when shadowing a Urology firm, where I was able to attend surgery, outpatients’ clinics and ward rounds. Spending time with varied levels of doctors taught me how the role changes with experience and training, but that the basics of care remain the same. It confirmed how much I want to be a doctor, as every day and patient is different; it was not so much the illness but the individual that mattered most. Witnessing bad news being broken was difficult, but revealed I have the empathy and fortitude to be with those patients in difficult times. Shadowing a physiotherapist in a private clinic emphasised seeing the patient in a holistic way, as a simple foot injury may be the sign of an underlying hip condition.

When undertaking a PhD in cancer biology, I enjoyed investigating the reasons behind cellular behaviours. It taught me to have an inquisitive mind, ask questions and look for solutions, but it made me realise that what I want to do is use these skills to treat the patients whose cells were in front of me. It developed my ability to be an independent thinker, be self-motivated and in charge of my own learning; I believe these qualities will aid me during medical school and my future career.

I have been a trained first aider with St. John Ambulance for a year. Although the skills learnt and practised are undoubtedly useful, the most valuable experience has been dealing with distressed members of the public, especially children. When a performer fell off stage whilst I was on duty at an event, I used my training to take observations and ensure he kept his head still until paramedics arrived. I wanted to have the knowledge and skills to help him further. Learning some basic first aid has made me even more passionate to know the why behind the treatments and to be able to diagnose injuries and diseases.

Witnessing how unglamorous the job can be, I was covered in a violent patient’s blood after he removed a cannula. One evening a week, I volunteer in the ED of a large teaching hospital, helping care for patients by speaking to them, transporting and giving food and drink. Never knowing what I will encounter, I have realised the uncertainty that comes with being a doctor, and how exciting yet daunting this can be. I have seen how communication is key when treating patients, as many people do not mind waiting if kept informed. A lady had been on a trolley for 3 hours and was becoming distressed. When I explained we were waiting for a bed, the calming effect was clear.

Communication is vital in all areas of the hospital. I have worked in an NHS hospital for almost two years. Firstly, in the finance department of a DGH, which helped me understand the economic complexities and strains the health service is under. Currently, I work within the Pharmacy quality department. It has given me an awareness of how therapies work and how important timely discharge is to patients and staff. Several incidents could have been avoided with effective communication between staff members.

I gained insight into the world of a medical student when employed as a simulated patient. Many students in their first week did not explain procedures or introduce themselves. By the end of the year, the communication skills had greatly improved, and a simple introduction made me feel much more at ease. I have taken part in events to encourage more children into science, including ‘I’m a scientist, get me out of here!’ and the Bodyworlds exhibition. I taught undergraduates during my PhD and, as teaching is a part of Medicine, it would be enjoyable building on these skills.

I enjoy running, reading crime novels and learning French. I play the flute, previously as part of an orchestra that toured Belgium, playing in Ghent Cathedral.

Master of Pharmacy

As a hospital pre-registration pharmacist, I have had the opportunity to witness doctors’ application of clinical knowledge during decision making and their devotion and empathy towards patients. This has deepened my admiration for clinical practice and reinforced my aspiration to become a doctor. Working alongside clinicians has strengthened my desire to gain a deeper understanding of the human body and my desire to play an integral role in differential diagnosis to assist patients.

Pharmacy has helped me to develop a broad range of skills necessary to study medicine. At Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (HEFT), I liaise within an MDT to provide patient-centred care and deliver an efficient and seamless service, especially when undertaking ward based medicine management. I take accurate drug histories from patients through the use of pertinent questions and observation skills. Using my professional judgement in the interest of patient safety allows me to readily detect and reduce the occurrence of medication errors. Furthermore, I have also gained a comprehensive understanding of the diverse range of patients in primary and secondary care, which has taught me how to adapt the way I communicate to meet my patients’ unique needs. I understand the importance of patient confidentiality and safeguarding vulnerable adults and children as well. These attributes that I have developed will help me to become a safer, efficient and confident clinician in the future.

Due to my clinical rotations at HEFT I have developed a particular interest in genetic disorders. I recently met a patient who had been diagnosed with Shapiro Syndrome. I took this opportunity to converse with the patient which helped me gain an understanding of the disorder and the pharmacological treatment involved. My rotation within cancer services, including a placement at Marie Curie Hospice, has shown me how the Liverpool Care Pathway is implemented and helped me understand the importance of empathy. I shadowed consultant haematologists in various roles at Heartlands hospital including haematology clinics and ward rounds. I observed a doctor administer chemotherapy via the intrathecal route and witnessed a patient with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia receive a bone marrow transplant. In addition, I saw the importance of clinical trials in the treatment of cancer and conversed with patients at different stages of their treatment. These experiences have made me appreciate the physical and emotional demands of a career in medicine. Next summer I will be undergoing a placement at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Pakistan, which will offer me an insight into current healthcare issues where resources are limited. Moreover, I remain up-to-date with treatment changes by reading the PJ, BMJ and NICE Guidance and to reflect on my learning I regularly complete CPDs. My technical knowledge is compounded by my First-Class Honours in my Master of Pharmacy degree which provides me with an excellent base of biological and pharmacological knowledge.

Besides my interest in medicine, I also enjoy playing sport; I was part of the University football team and I swim regularly. Furthermore, I play an active part within the local community, having previously volunteered for a local care home, Barnardo's Charity shop and the Anthony Nolan Trust. Currently, I am a volunteer for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity. During my pharmacy degree, I was the Aston University Student Champion for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Through this role, I learnt leadership, organisational and interpersonal skills, which have helped both my personal and academic development.

In conclusion, my role in pharmacy and the NHS has provided me with first-hand experience and essential qualities that have bettered me as a person and applicant. Being a hardworking and driven individual, I believe I have the ability to be an excellent medical school student and thereafter a successful doctor within the NHS.

Science has interested me from a young age, but it was through studying pharmacy that I found myself drawn to the more patient centred aspects of healthcare. Realising my limitations as a pharmacist and wanting to be at the forefront of clinical decision making, this well considered choice to pursue medicine was made.

Placements in primary and secondary care as well as my current position as a pre-registration pharmacist at Southampton General Hospital have offered me much insight into medicine as a career. Having visited a range of medical and surgical wards as well as attended various clinics, I have found the scope of medical specialities to be enlightening. The rise of technology and its support in diagnosis has made me appreciate how much this career sits at the forefront of scientific advancement. I have also admired the trusting relationship between patients and their doctors. It has emphasised the importance of being warm, approachable and able to communicate with individuals at their level of understanding. These skills have been demonstrated through my current position and previous job as a healthcare assistant. Earlier this year, I was a first responder to a cardiac emergency just outside of my pharmacy school. Despite my efforts and the timely arrival of the paramedics, the casualty passed away. The nature of this event highlighted to me the challenging sides of medicine. Facing end of life situations isn't easy however, being there to offer the casualty both emotional and physical support was humbling.

Now working within a multi-disciplinary team, I carry out medicines reconciliations, review patient drug charts, and prepare discharge summaries. This has developed my teamwork and communication skills which are both invaluable in medicine. Outside of work, I have been collaborating with nurses, GPs and specialists in Hampshire to deliver health awareness workshops to hard to reach ethnic minority groups at higher risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Supported by Wessex Heartbeat, I have been involved in measuring BP, BM and cholesterol levels as well as providing personalised lifestyle advice.

I am hardworking and self-motivated, as demonstrated by my 1st class honours degree. Pharmacy has equipped me with knowledge of the therapeutic uses of medicines, their side effects and interactions. I have also learnt about the human body systems and many diseases. This provides me with a good foundation going into medicine. Having completed a 4th year research project which was recently presented as a poster at the 2018 International Pharmaceutical Federation congress, I have also developed skills that will prove useful in medical research. These include; literature searching, data analysis and critical writing. Alongside my degree, I was part of the student support service at Cardiff University (CU). Being a mentor then mentor consultant, I developed coaching and leadership skills. This has also demonstrated good time management and organisation which are key to meeting the demands of a medical degree. I am constantly taking on leadership roles and this has been recognised through two consecutive nominations for the Welsh Pharmacy Student Leadership Award. Recently, I was commended for my push to increase first aid training and accessibility within CU following the cardiac incident I was involved with. Initiative drives innovation and improvement which I believe is important in medicine.

Beyond academics, I have a black belt in taekwondo, a sport that has taught me self-discipline and perseverance. I also play the piano and engage in charity work within my community. These activities provide me with a good work-life balance.

I aspire to become a medic who will progress and ultimately give back to society. I have the passion, skills and experience that will allow me to embrace every opportunity and overcome any challenge. Therefore, I believe I am a suitable candidate for graduate entry medicine.

Pharmacology

My interest in medicine was sparked after losing a close friend to cancer. I was grateful and inspired by the medical professionals involved in her care and knew I wanted to follow a medical career making a difference to people’s lives. As a third-year pharmacology student I am fascinated by the mechanisms, interactions and treatments of disease leading me to a part time job in a research lab. I gained an appreciation of how treatments go from bench to bedside, improved my aseptic technique and aided the latest research in C. elegans cancer biomarkers.

Whilst shadowing an anaesthetist, ENT surgeon and nurse throughout surgery I was impressed at how they explained procedures clearly and reassuringly to patients. When complications occurred, I learnt how vital teamwork was when everyone communicated well under pressure to achieve the best outcome. Palliative procedures helped me appreciate the aim isn’t always to cure but improve the patient’s end of life experience. In Falls and Syncope, I was excited to shadow a physiotherapist, ward sister and consultant. I was fascinated by the individualisation of treatments designed by the professionals whilst considering the NICE guidance and the NHS budget. The patient’s opinion was included throughout and their confidentiality maintained. It was valuable to see doctors accept their limits and refer patients for other professional opinions. In neurodegenerative disorder clinics I was impressed by consultant geriatricians communicating devastating news in an empathetic and compassionate way, ensuring adequate support following this. I also built on my knowledge of polypharmacy, ensuring drugs didn’t interact or exacerbate symptoms and learnt a diagnosis is rarely straight forward. It’s common for a mental health condition to accompany the initial illness.

A main aspect drawing me to medicine is a passion of working with people which has grown over 8 years of voluntary and paid work. When volunteering for Nightline, a 12 hours listening service for students, I found it challenging not being allowed to give advice. I improved my communication skills by listening for long periods of time and maintaining appropriate tone of voice, key skills required in medicine. Some calls were emotionally challenging teaching me to control my emotions to help the caller. Volunteering with Sexpression teaching sex and relationship education in schools was an enjoyable experience teaching me how to sensitively engage adolescent audiences. Throughout my degree I expanded my level of knowledge taking extra or relevant modules including Healthcare Organisation and Practise to improve my awareness of the NHS. This thirst for knowledge lead to being the only student selected from my university to represent the British Pharmacological Society in parliament where I discussed medical issues like Ebola, anti-vaccination groups and encouraging young people into science. Being a member of my university cheer team allowed me to compete nationally in front of thousands, greatly improving my confidence of entering unfamiliar situations. Teamwork and communication were essential to prevent injury during stunts. If a stunt didn’t work we’d create new ideas together to replace it. This improved my problem solving and creativity skills something used every day in medicine.

I’m exceptionally hard working and committed and have the communication skills, work ethic and motivation to excel in a career as a doctor. From placements within the NHS I feel I’ve grasped a realistic idea of working in a healthcare organisation. I have always enjoyed caring for others and even though medicine is a challenging degree I feel I am emotionally, mentally and physically strong enough to cope with its demands. I have thoroughly enjoyed my Pharmacology degree and wish to build on my knowledge to achieve my goal of becoming a doctor.

Physiotherapy

Following a serious sporting injury aged 14, I wanted to be a physiotherapist (PT). I was fortunate enough to study and qualify at King’s College London (KCL). As PT students, we’re taught to view the body and mind holistically, whilst developing an exceptional understanding of anatomical functioning and a sound knowledge of physiological processes. However, I knew I had only begun to scratch the surface of what makes us human. My application is borne out of a fascination at the complex equilibrium between different bodily systems and an admiration for human resilience to life-changing circumstances; which drives the pursuit of further knowledge and skills.

Medicine is about seeing patients as individuals and providing them with the foundations to maximise their functioning and quality of life through advice, pharmacological, therapeutic, and if necessary, surgical interventions. For this to be achieved, doctors require a grasp of fundamental skills, such as verbal and non-verbal communication, active listening and empathy, skills on which I pride myself and believe will be directly transferable into practice of medicine. Furthermore, skills such as clinical reasoning, critical analysis and a flexible approach to patient management have provided me the foundation for evidence-based practice that will benefit me as a medical practioner.

I have been fortunate enough to gain experience in a variety of clinical settings, most of which have been ward-based, including: Intensive care (ITU); hyper-acute stroke; oncology and orthopaedics. These acute placements were complimented by long-term rehabilitation placements including The Children’s Trust & Psychiatry. Throughout these rotations, I gained invaluable experience treating and managing a variety of complex conditions, and have always challenged myself to learn new skills and techniques. I achieved this through shadowing various healthcare professionals, including: nurses; midwives; radiographers and most relevantly; doctors. I witnessed first-hand the exceptional depth of knowledge and expertise shown by all the doctors I shadowed, all the while juggling the difficult balance between the medical model and patient-centred care. This was exemplified through contemporary discussions around the moral implications of do not attempt resuscitation orders. Intuitively we should do everything we can to preserve life, yet informed consent is the bedrock of patient-doctor trust and must be respected above all else.

My desire to pursue a career as a doctor was reinforced during my final year of study. I took part in an optional module focussing on inter-professional working, choosing to focus on the role of doctors. I found that the experience helped me further enhance my reflective practice skills, which are vital in both personal and professional growth. I have always considered myself a reflective person, and this module consolidated previous teaching, guiding reflection; learning from all experiences and leading to the development of one of my strongest traits. Furthermore, I chose my dissertation subject on mental health, rather than a topic exclusively PT, displaying my sway towards medical management.

I was fortunate enough to be awarded the KCL Jelf Medal, awarded to one student per year, for academic, societal and sporting excellence. It is the highest honour the college can bestow, and reflected my involvement in football, swimming and water polo teams; charity and grassroots development programs and being the elected student representative to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists. I believe this demonstrates my ability to be a well-rounded candidate, capable of working individually or as a team, succeeding and promoting progression not only for myself, but for my peers, in a variety of settings.

My time at KCL provided me with an insight into the medical world, and while I enjoyed the PT aspect, I’m eagerly anticipating the new challenges a medical career will bring.

Work is very important to me and I enjoy being busy. Throughout my academic life and professional career to date, I have demonstrated an excellent work ethic, receiving top appraisals, early promotion and progression, and special access to fast path training and mentoring as a result. After graduating I chose a career in IT as it required continuous self-improvement and learning to stay abreast of constantly evolving industry advances. My career at IBM has allowed me to gain detailed knowledge of the IBM Cloud, working as part of a team to apply those advances and deliver successful solutions for clients’ real life situations. My IBM work has been, and continues to be very interesting and challenging, but I have come to realise from helping people directly through volunteer work, that I now seek a more fulfilling professional life to complement my deep interest in people and the human condition, a desire that had already led me to read psychology at university.

I thoroughly enjoy volunteer work contributing 100+ hours this year so far. During university I spent a semester in Canada where I worked in a homeless shelter for Project Serve. This first raised my awareness to the challenges faced by vulnerable members of our society. Since then I have undertaken a number of volunteer roles and work-shadowing placements, enabling me to experience first-hand the critical role healthcare has to play. I volunteer at a local care home as a care assistant, working as part of a team providing a quality of life to elderly and mentally ill residents. The home strives to maintain residents’ dignity and self-respect despite the challenges of dementia, incontinence and removal from previous family life. As part of the team I’ve learnt a balance of compassion, but without undue attachment, to gain the residents’ trust and cooperation.

Most recently I have volunteered at a local homeless shelter, serving hot food, giving out clothing and being a friendly face for people suffering from extreme poverty, substance and alcohol abuse. Despite language barriers and sometimes aggressive behaviour I have found this experience a rewarding one. I have also had the privilege of shadowing various medical professionals most notably a paediatric surgical consultant. I’ve experienced ward rounds, witnessing team leadership skills resulting in efficient, detailed assessment of patient status and determination of clinical care plans. I have also observed surgery and seen the professional control in execution that’s required. I have found the absolute commitment of the medical team to provide quality care in often challenging circumstances, including recent strike action, an inspiration.

In my spare time I enjoy participating in a variety of activities including climbing, skiing and yoga. Maintaining an active and varied social lifestyle outside of work helps me create a healthy balance to a busy professional life, and as a result has made me a better “people person” having met many people from different walks of life. Whenever possible, I’ve strived to couple my participation with responsibility through being a student ambassador, team captain, or coaching all ages in both climbing and football.

I strongly believe that my journey to this point, taking into account my academic and professional achievements and volunteering experiences, has provided me with a broader perspective and furnished me with more of the attributes required to undertake a medical career. I have become more focussed on my goals in life and know I can contribute more by dedicating my time to a career in medicine. I am determined, capable and highly motivated to transfer this success to a life in medicine and to achieve my ambition to become a doctor – I believe my true vocation in life.

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Medicine Personal Statement Examples – Oxford (Alexander)

Home » Application Guide » Medicine Personal Statement Examples – Oxford (Alexander)

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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 Alexander, who studies Medicine at the University of Oxford.

Alexander applied to study medicine in 2014 at 4 of the best medical schools in the UK, including Edinburgh and Sheffield . In the end, he received offers from both University College London and the University of Oxford , of which he chose the latter and began his studies in 2015.

Let’s read the personal statement that got him a place at Oxford, or skip straight to his feedback to learn what made his 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 .

University of Oxford Medicine Personal Statement Example

Whole personal statement.

Life as a doctor is hard – long hours, demanding patients and a pressurised working environment. However you also have the tremendous privilege of helping people at their most vulnerable. This is what appeals to me about medicine.  

I have always been interested in science and health and used to enjoy listening to my grandfather talking about his experiences as a family doctor at the birth of the NHS. My parents are pharmacists, so healthcare has always featured in family conversations. It made me think that medicine would be a challenging yet rewarding career.  

Medicine reflects my academic interests. For instance, I am a keen follower of rugby and American Football and became intrigued by concussion. My EPQ allowed me to research the physiology of brain injuries, analyse scientific papers on the materials used in helmet construction and study the psychological impact of wearing helmets.  

Taking part in the Chemistry Olympiad and Cambridge Chemistry Challenge really tested my understanding and ability to apply the principles of chemistry to new and unique situations such as drug manufacture. I was particularly interested in the complexity of the processes that create some of our most basic, yet fundamental drugs.  

I am curious about medical research, so read ‘The Trouble with Medical Journals’ by former BMJ editor, Dr Richard Smith. It showed me how difficult it is to conduct studies that are wholly free from bias and conflicts of interest, and opened up an interesting debate about the role of pharmaceutical companies in funding clinical trials.  

My work experience has given me a great insight into life as a doctor. I organised a placement in an orthopaedics department, where I closely observed the whole process from admission and surgery to after-care. I saw how important communication was in all aspects of the department: having clear, defined roles in theatre, and using the right language to guide scared patients through complex procedures. I also witnessed first-hand one of the main challenges facing a doctor – dealing with uncooperative patients, yet still achieving a good outcome.  

My work as a volunteer at a dementia care home showed me some of the harsher realities of long-term illness and gave me a practical understanding of the effects of degenerative brain disease. I spent time talking to residents and keeping them company, including one who was a former matron. She could remember how to diagnose illnesses but could not remember when she last had a cup of tea. When I asked her about her time as a matron, she cried. I found this upsetting and it pushed me way out of my comfort zone. Initially I felt uncomfortable and did not know how to approach my time at the home. However I persevered and gained a new appreciation of the difficulties faced by both the elderly and those caring for them.  

A doctor must keep calm and make good decisions under pressure. On my Gold DofE expedition, I used my problem-solving ability to navigate out of a dense forest using only contour lines. At times the group became frustrated and started to argue. I took responsibility to try and resolve these difficulties by suggesting solutions in a non-confrontational manner.  

My passion outside work and college is cricket. I play as much as I can for several clubs and coach young people aged 4-15. I like the responsibility of influencing a young cricketer’s development. Coaching has enabled me to gain valuable experience in organising other people and become a better communicator. It can be frustrating, but worth it when you see how much they improve. I also help junior school children with their reading, which is richly rewarding but demands great patience.  

In summary: I enjoy science. I can relate to people. I am resilient and would relish an environment of lifelong learning. A career in a caring profession like medicine would be stimulating, meaningful, and provide me with the best opportunities to apply my knowledge to benefit others.

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University of Oxford Medicine Personal Statement Example Analysis

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

INTRODUCTION

Introduction

I wanted to keep this introduction very simple and straightforward, which I believe I did well. I didn’t waffle about any life-changing events that made me decide to study medicine overnight, I just focused on an honest appraisal of my background that led me to consider medicine. It’s very direct, but I feel admissions teams prefer honestly over trying to create a massively blown-up story about something that is actually pretty simple. It saves time and space that can be used to thoroughly discuss my experiences and skills later on.

‘Life as a doctor is hard’ does sound a little cliché and cringy when I read it back all these years later. I wanted to create a catchy opening but instead, it just feels like I’m either moaning or explaining medical work to a child. In the second part, emphasising the medical background I come from may come across as I’m only doing medicine because my family do it/want me to do it. It is certainly worth mentioning, but I barely discuss how living with medical professionals has helped me develop my own skills and interests.

Lastly, and this is a reoccurring issue, why did I split this into two paragraphs? They both link together, but splitting this section in half makes each part feel less significant than if I had left them as one.  

I am curious about medical research, so read ‘The Trouble with Medical Journals’ by former BMJ editor, Dr Richard Smith. It showed me how difficult it is to conduct studies that are wholly free from bias and conflicts of interest, and opened up an interesting debate about the role of pharmaceutical companies in funding clinical trials.

I start off the main part of my personal statement by discussing my academics. Here, I found ways to relate the extra things I’d done at sixth form (EPQ, Olympiad, Trouble with Medical Journals) to medical topics and reflected on how they had helped me become a good medicine applicant. Again I kept the things I gained from them very simple, being very clear about exactly what I did and not trying to stretch the truth. Although I am trying to sell myself, I didn’t want to over-exaggerate my accomplishments as many admissions teams can see right through insincerity. Detailing my additional research is also a great way of demonstrating my interest in medicine in a practical and applicable way, rather than just describing life experiences that inspired me.  

Throughout these paragraphs, the writing sometimes comes across as a bit waffly, such as being intrigued by concussions because of rugby and American football. It’s a very random detail to mention and could have flowed more naturally into my EPQ. Instead of providing this surface-level information about myself, I could perhaps have given examples of what I’d learnt, although I did leave it slightly open to encourage interviewers to ask me about my EPQ at the interview. I do provide a better amount of depth when discussing the other topics here though.  

As for the paragraphing issue, this section is a bit more justifiable as each paragraph does tackle a separate topic. However, paragraphs this small do make the content feel less important or in-depth.

This is my discussion of work experience and volunteering work . Here, I was clear that I organised my orthopaedic work experience and dementia home volunteering myself, not that it was arranged for me. This may seem like an odd thing to point out, but it definitely shows a level of confidence and initiative that some applicants do miss (it was especially important for me considering my medical background, it would be very easy for the reader to assume my parents sorted something for me).  

Again, I didn’t over-exaggerate what I had done or learnt, I was very factual and let that speak for itself as I was confident it was good enough to be impressive. Even if it wasn’t the most impressive experience they had seen, the confidence in which I presented it gives it equal or greater value to work experience that has been dressed in over descriptive language.  

Paragraph-wise, this is actually a section I handled correctly in my opinion.  

Given how much I could have written about these two experiences, I unfortunately wasn’t as reflective as I should have been here. I had learned a lot from these experiences, but I only really discussed the surface-level skills I had learnt from them. There are many underlying lessons that I could have defiantly discussed in order to give this section a bit more power.  

I was a bit nervous about including the time I made a person cry, and how difficult I initially found the care home, but overall I think that it was important to show awareness that I’m not yet a perfect doctor/person, but at least I have been able to see an improvement in myself from the experience. This is a tactic that could backfire if you’re not fully confident, but as long as you can explain yourself in the interview, you’ll come off as a stronger candidate because of it.  

Here we have another pretty straightforward paragraph which only says what I myself did and doesn’t try and take too much credit. It ticks off some of the soft skills medical schools are looking for, again with examples that I could elaborate on further in the interview. The first sentence of this paragraph also serves to justify the inclusion of everything else I discuss here by linking everything back to medicine.  

In reality, it’s a bit of a filler paragraph to try and show I’ve got some other skills they are after. Nothing here is as strong as what I previously discussed, although it’s really not expected to. I certainly don’t feel it’s a particularly strong or stand-out paragraph like the previous one, but it serves its purpose of demonstrating some additional skills.  

I think this paragraph works well, showing both my extra-curricular interest in cricket and also how I’ve turned my passion for it into something that helps others, which sounds like a decent analogy to medicine. The personal statement isn’t just about medical abilities; universities also want students who are happy, healthy and likely to contribute to university life as a whole. This example perfectly encapsulates how I would be a fantastic university student!

Everything doesn’t need to be “all medicine, all the time”, but linking this topic to medicine would have definitely helped it feel more relevant in this personal statement. I just said that this sounds like a good analogy for medicine, so all I would have needed to do is point this out in a slightly more explanatory way. Looking at the wording and phrasing I used, “ I like the responsibility ” maybe sounds a bit sociopathic while “organising other people” is also a slightly odd phrase. The junior school reading is maybe something I could have expanded on further, to show a bit more breadth.

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This is a proper summary of my personal statement; it doesn’t contain any new information and brings everything from my personal statement together in just 3 lines. It comes across as very snappy and ends with a true reflection of why I want to study medicine. This is pretty much everything expected of a good quality conclusion.  

This is perhaps where I may become a bit overly confident describing myself with all those terms. Taken on its own, the paragraph does nothing to show how I can say these things about myself, but I have tried to demonstrate why I believe I have those qualities throughout my statement. So hopefully, in context, it sounded appropriate. I suppose it must have done or else I wouldn’t have gotten my offers.  

Final Thoughts

Throughout this analysis, I have made sure to point out several times that this statement is no-nonsense and straight to the point. It’s very factual, and I make a point of showing my qualities with evidence rather than just saying I am caring or I like science for example. I show a good breadth of experiences and am not afraid to speak about the bad ones, which shows I have a fuller picture of the highs and lows of a career in medicine. I wrote this knowing that whoever would end up reading would know far more than me about medicine and be far more experienced than myself, so I didn’t want to either talk down to them or sound like I was desperate to impress them. I’d say the biggest strength of this personal statement is its confidence. When writing, know what your strengths are and own up to your weaknesses while understanding that they don’t detract from your abilities unless you let them.  

Because I was applying to Oxford I put my academic achievements first, even though my strongest paragraphs were more in the middle. There were several things that I had done that I did not include, and perhaps I could have created more space by shortening some of the paragraphs to create space for them, to ensure I’m covering more of the skills and qualities medical schools are after. These are all structural issues, but I had a few issues with my writing style too. The confident writing approach is effective when done well, but it can fall flat when you make weird statements like my first line, or become a bit too cocky. There’s a balance to reach and, although you probably won’t perfect every line, you will need to most likely go through countless drafts to get it right.  

So there you have it! This personal statement helped Alexander earn 2 offers from two of the most prestigious medical schools in the country!

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 Alexander 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 , another Oxbridge medical student! 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.  

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Postgraduate medicine personal statement example.

My conviction for medicine has aptly followed a certain period of introspection. A recent family visit to South Africa encouraged thoughtful consideration of my reasons for applying to medical school, and also granted the opportunity to explore healthcare practice in my home country.

Whilst volunteering as a phlebotomist for a rural HIV clinic, the urgency with which the local community relied on medical staff for guidance, moral support, and treatment was poignantly placed at the fore.

It was awe-inspiring to witness the active role played by doctors as teachers, leaders and clinicians, more so amidst the dire supply of front-line staff at the time. Needless to say, this experience has only sought to reaffirm my passion for this gratifying and multifaceted profession, and has thus nurtured my understanding of, and suitability for a career in medicine.

At the crux of my degree in Biomedical Science was great emphasis on the importance of evidence-based learning and the need for reflective practice and professional development. Of particular interest was a module on Stem cells & Regenerative Medicine as it accurately highlighted the relationship between scientific theory and the ethical implications surrounding its application in society.

Eager to delve into the managerial side of clinical care, I also volunteered for a health service improvement program at St George's Hospital, which aimed to address the issues concerning patient flow on the wards.

Upon reflection, I feel that my contribution to this audit has instilled a more comprehensive view of the NHS; it is apparent that true patient care encompasses both medical treatment and the management of resources and protocols in equal measure, thereby ensuring that patients receive the finest care afforded to them.

Throughout my employment as a Healthcare Assistant at the Royal Marsden Hospital, it became progressively clear that medicine is a multidisciplinary field inherently reliant on teamwork and effective communication.

Working alongside Nurses and Physiotherapists, among other disciplines, proved insightful as it taught me much about the professional diversity required for personalised and holistic patient care. Central to my role in CCU was also the ability to comfort distressed relatives and empathise with palliative care patients, whilst upholding confidentiality and preserving patient autonomy at all times.

During this period, I also fostered an interest in Neurophysiology and subsequently published an article on Synaesthesia & Phantom limb pain for 'The Lumen' Medical Journal. This feat was promptly ensued by a clinical placement in Neurology, during which, the consultants were keen to prepare me for a life of emotional turbulence; stressing public expectations and the merits of a healthy work-life ethic.

Closely allied to the clinician's capacity to diagnose and treat patients, is the ability to contribute towards public education and to oversee the development of junior colleagues. I feel I have mirrored this obligation through my role as an Anatomy demonstrator and an A Level Science & Maths tutor.

As testament to my passion for anatomy and physiology, I was also awarded the opportunity to complete the topographical dissection of an embalmed cadaver during the summer of 2013. Aside academia, my position as Student ambassador and UNICEF Year Representative has been no sinecure; I have learnt as much about leadership and self-confidence as I have about the limits of my own competence.

Now currently working as a Biological Specimen Co-ordinator at the Institute of Cancer Research, I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to play an active role in the 100,000 Genomes Project over the upcoming year. This experience should undoubtedly hold me in good stead as I embark upon this sublime vocation of lifelong learning and personal fulfilment, wholly cognisant of the rewards and sacrifices that lie ahead.

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There is no profile associated with this personal statement, as the writer has requested to remain anonymous.

Author's Comments

This is the personal statement I used to successfully apply for Graduate Entry Medicine (2016 intake). Unfortunately, I've never really been good at entrance exams (UKCAT or GAMSAT), so I pretty much always devoted a lot more time into my personal statement. Like many, I was heavily reliant on the use of examples to help me write my personal statement so I'm hoping that this example can be of help to other people!

Lol, the struggle is eventually worth it.

Good luck! :D

This personal statement is unrated

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