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Sheffield Medical School Review

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Welcome to our UK Medical School Review series . In this series, we work with current students to produce an in-depth overview of each UK Medical School, covering what it is like to study there, how the course looks and what you need to get in.

Today, we are focussing on Sheffield Medical School, a member of the Russell Group of UK research-intensive universities. Adriana, a Sheffield Medic, will share her experiences and insights as a current student throughout.

Let’s get started with an overview of Sheffield Medical School…

Overview Of Sheffield Medical School

About sheffield medical school.

The Sheffield Medical School predates that of the University by 77 years. Medical teaching began in Sheffield as early as 1811 by surgeon Hall Overend who set up his own school, receiving external recognition in 1828. The school went on to also be known as the Sheffield Medical Institution in 1829, Sheffield Medical School in 1865 and the Sheffield School of Medicine in 1868, collaborating with local hospitals to provide teaching. Once the University of Sheffield was established in 1905, the 2 merged and Medicine was a founding faculty. Since 2011 it is regarded as the Medical School and provides education for over 2,000 students.

The University of Sheffield offers 2 Medicine courses: the standard 5-year Undergraduate course, with an alternative Access Sheffield entry route for those from Widening Access backgrounds, and a 4-year accelerated Graduate course. Both lead to the award of a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) degree. Sheffield also offers a 5-year Undergraduate Dentistry course.

Sheffield Medical School

• University Age: 117
• UK Ranking: 25th
• Pint Price: £3.00
• Alumni Notability: 9/10
• A-level Requirements: AAA
• Places Available: 291
• Applicant Success Rate: 13%
• Teaching Style: PBL
• Interview Style: MMI
• Admissions Test: UCAT

Sheffield Medical School Alumni

Notable alumni include British Army medical officer William Barnsley Allen; Edward Mellanby, discoverer of vitamin D; Frank Ellis, a leader in the treatment of cancer by radiation therapy and Nobel Prize winner Sir Hans Krebs for his work in the study of cellular energy, namesake of the Krebs cycle.

Why did you choose to study at Sheffield?

“The teaching style is what first attracted me to Sheffield Medical School. There is an integrated learning and teaching approach, linking the clinical side of Medicine to the Medical Sciences behind it. The course includes clinical teaching on wards in hospitals, clinics, lectures, small group work and dissection. The combination of formal teaching and clinical work provides an ideal platform for learning because you can see the applicability of what you learn. Anatomy being taught through dissection was also an important factor when choosing to apply here.

I also chose Sheffield because of the big student population and the big community feel there is because of it. The amount of green spaces and the proximity to the Peak District also make it a great place to live in.”

What is the best thing and worst thing about your Medical School?

“One of the best things about it is the teaching style; being able to do anatomy through dissection is a real privilege and an amazing learning opportunity, as well as the early clinical exposure you get. These things really make a big difference in your learning. The support the Medical School gives you is also really great, throughout the 5 years you will always have someone to go to with any problems you may have, as well as someone checking up on you to make sure you aren’t struggling with anything.

The worst thing about it is probably the fact that you don’t have any exams until the end so in 1st year, your entire grade is determined by how well you do in the 3 exams you do at the end of the year, but some people could definitely see this as a good thing as you can be more relaxed throughout the year. Our summer holidays are also not as long as in other Medical Schools.”

Medical School Rankings

The following link will take you to the Complete University Guide Medicine League Table . Here, you can see that Sheffield Medical School takes the 25th position with an overall score of 96%:

The table also highlights 100% graduate prospects for Sheffield Medics so there’s little to worry about once you graduate!

Rankings will, of course, differ between other tables; the Guardian includes different aspects to the Complete University Guide . When making your own decision on which table to look at, think about what you place more importance on, such as spending per student or career prospects. Keep in mind that all Medical Schools are highly ranked with excellent ratings across the board.

Sheffield Medical School Fees And Financial Support

Annual tuition fees for home students to study Medicine at the University of Sheffield are £9,250. For international students, it is £38,050. Tuition fee loans are offered to all UK students by the Government and cover the course fees in full. Fees do not have to be paid upfront. If you need any assistance with costs, Sheffield offers bursaries and scholarships for students , as well as advice from the Funding Team.

What are the living costs like?

“Sheffield is not an expensive city to live in and since it’s very student friendly, you can get student discounts and deals in most places. The cost of a pint would usually range between £2 and £4 depending on where you go. The accommodation in the first year costs £150 on average, but this goes down in the following years when you move into houses, and on public transport, there are also student deals and the bus is £1. There is also a card you can apply for if you are between 18 and 21 years old that allows you to get the bus and tram for just 80p.”

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What Is Studying At Sheffield Medical School Like?

Teaching at Sheffield Medical School follows a patient-centred approach and aims to blend clinical teaching with the basic medical sciences from the very beginning. These 2 themes are taught in a variety of means including clinical teaching in primary and secondary care settings, lectures, seminars, tutorials, small group work and self-directed learning and development. Anatomy is taught via full-body cadaveric dissection.

Year 3 to 5 introduces students to full-time clinical placement, working in a range of local healthcare environments in multiple specialities. These are still complemented by small group work, seminars, tutorials and lectures and there is a strong emphasis on evidence-based learning, investigation and teamwork.

Sheffield Medical School Degree Content

Undergraduate course.

The 5-year course is divided into 4 Phases: Phase 1, Introductory Clinical Competency (Year 1), Phase 2: Basic Clinical Competencies (Year 2 and 1st ½ Year 3), Phase 3: Extended Clinical Competencies (2nd ½ Year 3 and Year 4) and Phase 4, Final Preparation for Clinical Practice (Year 5). It’s modular and spiralling – what you learn will be built upon in later years.

A 2-week Multi-Professional Experience is included in Phase 1 where students are introduced to working healthcare professionals to gain an insight into the roles and importance of each member of the multi-disciplinary team.

Student Selected Components (SSC) are undertaken in Phase 1 focussing on the history of Medicine, critical analysis and communicating health information, beginning in the very first week of study. In Phase 2, students complete an SSC in Medical Ethics and Law. Final SSCs are completed in Phase 3.

Students must complete a 6-week research project at the start of Year 2, providing students with the opportunity to advance their research skills and learn more about their fields of interest.

In the 1st ½ Year 3, where students begin their full-time clinical placements, they are required to undertake a 12-week longitudinal integrated clinical placement (LICP1) to further their skills in clinical practice. These LICPs continue into Final Year where 2 more are completed.

During Years 3, 4 and 5 there is the option to intercalate should you wish to, it is not compulsory. This can take place either in Sheffield or at another institution and provides students to further explore interests.

To complete the degree and prepare students for entering their Foundation Years as a Doctor, you conduct a Student Assistantship at the end of Year 5.

Summary of the curriculum:

Year 1: introductory clinical competency (phase 1).

• Introduction to Medical Studies and Medical Sciences
• Introductory clinical competencies
• Systems-based learning and teaching (Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Gastrointestinal and Liver, Musculo-skeletal, Skin, Nervous, Genitourinary, Endocrine, Reproductive, Haematology, Immunology)
• Integrated Clinical Demonstrations
• Multi-Professional Experience
• Early Years General Practice Placement
• Community Attachment Scheme
• Public Health and Population Health Science
• Medical Ethics
• Personal and Professional Development

Years 2 and 1st ½ Year 3: Basic Clinical Competencies (Phase 2)

• Research Project
• Clinical Attachments
• Clinical Medical Sciences
• Clinical Skills

2nd ½ Year 3 and Year 4: Extended Clinical Competencies (Phase 3)

• • Clinical Team Attachments • Child Health • Women’s Health • Mental Health • SSCs • Medical Sciences • Acute Clinical Care • Continuing Clinical Care • Community and Public Health • Speciality Clinical Attachments

Year 5: Final Preparation for Clinical Practice (Phase 4)

• Final preparation for becoming a Junior Doctor
• LICP2 and LICP3
• Student Assistantship

Access Sheffield

The Access Sheffield scheme allows students from disadvantaged backgrounds, who achieve lower grades than those required, a chance to study Medicine. Each candidate’s circumstances are assessed during their application, with additional consideration and lower entry requirements offered. Once accepted to their course, these students follow the standard 5-year programme.

Dental Surgery (5-years)

This course aims to teach students dental theory alongside clinical practice to prepare them for a career in Dentistry. This is done through 9 integrated themes that underpin the content of the course. Sheffield believes it is important to train the whole dental team together and therefore teach students alongside students on the Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy courses. Teaching takes the format of lectures, tutorials, practical classes and clinical placements.

Graduate Entry (4-years)

The Sheffield Graduate Course is 4 years. Year 1 (Phase 1) of the 5-year Medicine degree is bypassed on this course and students head straight into Phase 2. The research project at the start of Phase 2 on the Undergraduate course is replaced by a 6-week introductory module that recaps key elements of the bypassed Phase 1.

What Makes Sheffield Medical School Unique?

What makes your medical school unique.

“Something that makes Sheffield Medical School unique is its early clinical exposure. This starts in 1 st year through the Early Years GP sessions; in groups of 5 to 6 people you get assigned to one of the local GP practices that you will then visit every 2 weeks and it’s here where you get to learn about how the content learned in lectures is applied in a clinical setting. In most of these sessions, you also get to see a patient and speak to them and ask about the conditions they suffer from as well as how they cope with it and how it impacts their lives. The conditions the patients have will relate to the body system you’ve been covering that week in lectures.

Sheffield uses an integrated learning approach. This means that we have a range of lectures for the whole year group accompanied by small group teaching. This small group teaching is done through Integrated Learning Activities (ILAs), these are sessions where you discuss in your groups a clinical case in relation to what you’ve been learning in lectures at the time. Teaching at Sheffield Medical School is also system-based, meaning that you will learn anatomy, physiology, pathology, etc. of one system at a time, so all the lectures, ILAs (integrated learning activities), histology sessions, and dissection sessions you have will be focused on that specific system.”

Sheffield Medicine Selection Process

Stage 1: Applicants pre-screened against academic criteria.

Stage 2: Those meeting academic criteria are reviewed to determine if they surpass the UCAT threshold.

Stage 3: Scores over the UCAT threshold are then ranked.

Stage 4: Applicants with scores above the, then determined, ranking cutpoint are invited to attend interview.

Stage 5: Scores from interview are compiled and ranked and offers are made.

Sheffield Medical School Entry Requirements

Access Sheffield  

Dental Surgery  

Graduate Entry

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Sheffield Medical School Personal Statement

The University of Sheffield does not read or score applicants’ personal statements during the selection process, however, the content of it may be asked about in the interview so it provides a useful starting point for shaping answers.

Sheffield expects you to have undergone some work experience related to the healthcare field. This is to gain and prove you have some insight into the role, including the positives and negatives. Sheffield does recognise it can be difficult to gain work experience and will still consider alternatives such as volunteering, community work and experience working with a diverse range of people as acceptable. Hands-on experience as opposed to passive is also highly valued.

They are looking for you to reflect on skills you have learnt from experiences you have undertaken that make you fit for being a Doctor. These can include resilience, empathy, motivation, communication skills, teamwork and self-insight – the core values and skills of a good doctor.

The most important thing is to remember to be candid and know it inside out so you can draw on your experiences in the interview!

Sheffield Medical School Admissions Tests

You need to undertake the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) in order to apply to the University of Sheffield. There is a minimum threshold that students must meet, set at 2430/3600 in the 2021-2022 cycle. If they surpass this, applicants are then ranked according to their UCAT scores and those scoring over the ranking cutpoint will be invited for interview. Where the cutpoint lies is dependent on the UCAT scores of all applicants meeting the academic and UCAT thresholds and therefore, a definitive cutpoint cannot be provided. However, for reference, the ranking cutpoint for 2021-2022 was 2780/3600.

Graduate applicants must also take the UCAT. The BMAT is not required.

Sheffield Medical School Interview

Mmi interview style.

Interviews for Medicine at the University of Sheffield are in the Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) format, consisting of 8 stations. The questions for the interview will be sent to each student with their invitation should they be invited. Sheffield Medical School interviews over double the available spaces on the course and the interviews typically take place from December to January.

Topics covered in the questions include communication skills, depth and breadth of interests, evidence of commitment for caring, knowledge of and interest in study in Sheffield, medical work experience/EPQ, motivation for Medicine, information processing skills, understanding the nature of Medicine, values and attitudes and finally, outside interests.

Each station is scored out of 5, with 5 being Excellent.

There is a 9 th virtual station taken from applicants’ Situational Judgement Test scores in their UCAT. This is again scored out of 5, with more points awarded to the higher quartile your score falls in. The maximum score available is 45. Applicants are ranked based on their interview scores and those with the highest are offered a place to study Medicine at Sheffield.

Example Sheffield Medical School Interview Questions:

• Why do you want to study medicine at Sheffield, specifically? (2018)
• What would you do if you had no offers to study Medicine? (2019)
• Tell me about a time when you have made a positive impact in someone’s life? (2021)
• Why is consent important in healthcare? (2020)
• How do you cope in a new environment? (2020)
• Should doctors use social media? (2019)
• Why is treating a patient with respect and dignity important? (2021)
• Scenario involving an actor, who is a patient at your local GP surgery. You must speak to them to find out about their illness, and how it is managed? (2019)
• Why do you want to live in Sheffield for the next five years? (2021)
• What appeals to you about the Sheffield Medical School curriculum structure (2021)
• What clubs and societies at the University of Sheffield are you interested in joining? (2021)
• If I gave you a thousand pounds and you had to spend it on YOURSELF in the next hour what would you buy? (2021)

Extra-Curriculars at Sheffield Medical School

Outside of study time, what do most people get up to.

“Sheffield, as a city, has so much to offer with parks and green spaces as well as being close to the Peak District. There is a lot to do and the second the sun starts shining you will find every student gathered at the nearest park. The University is also quite big so there’s always lots going on around campus. The Student’s Union is one of the best in the country and you can find a society for literally anything you might be interested in. Sheffield’s sport facilities are also great and there are lots of different sports and teams you can be a part of, and I could not recommend joining a sport enough, you get to meet so many people and it’s great fun!

You will also get the chance to participate in Varsity which is a competition against Sheffield Hallam and the biggest event of the year. The Students’ Union also has its own Night Club that all students go to, especially for pop tarts, on Saturday and Sports’ Night which takes place every Wednesday.”

What is the Sheffield accommodation like?

“Most people in 1st year choose to live in the main accommodation sites which are Ranmoor and Endcliffe; these are basically like small villages with lots of different buildings. This creates a big community feel and it really helps you make friends because there are also a lot of common areas where you get to see and meet different people. It is also completely surrounded by trees and greenery and even has a small pond where people gather when the sun is out.

The accommodation is also only a 15-minute walk away from the Medical School and about 25 minutes, maybe less, from the main University buildings, and even if you don’t like walking there are constant buses that are £1 for students. Most of the rooms are also en-suite and they are very decently sized. The number  of people living in 1 flat and therefore sharing a kitchen ranges from 6 to 12, but even if you have one of the bigger flats, the kitchen will be equipped accordingly.”

Sheffield Medical School Contact

Telephone: +44 114 222 5531

Email: [email protected]

Postal address: The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK

Advice for prospective sheffield medical school students

What advice would you give to a first-year student starting at sheffield medical school.

“Medical School can be a really daunting place, as well as intimidating, but it’s really important to remember that everyone is in the same boat as you and there’s no reason to be scared. Meeting people is a key part of making the transition from school to university as smooth as possible and the people in your course are the ones that are going to be with you for the following 5 years. Through getting to know each other and supporting each other throughout the difficulties of a career in Medicine, you will be able to make the most of those 5 years and have a really great time! It is also important to remember that there are points where you are going to struggle more and that is normal, you just need to know that you don’t need to deal with that by yourself and that there is support available and people that will be more than willing to help you.

I would also recommend maintaining a good work-life balance; doing well in your degree is important but so is having other interests and hobbies outside Medicine, because otherwise Medicine will become really draining and having that balance is what will allow you to have a good time and also stay motivated.”

Check out our other UK Medical School Reviews:

Cambridge Medical School Review

King’s college london medical school review, cardiff medical school review, edinburgh medical school review, imperial college london medical school review, leeds medical school review, newcastle medical school review, barts and the london (queen mary) medical school review, ucl medical school review, oxford medical school review, bristol medical school review, southampton medical school review, birmingham medical school review, exeter medical school review, hull york medical school review, leicester medical school review, glasgow medical school review, liverpool medical school review, manchester medical school review, nottingham medical school review, st george’s medical school review, dundee medical school review, warwick medical school review, aberdeen medical school review, brighton and sussex medical school review, lancaster medical school review, queen’s university belfast medical school review, swansea medical school review.

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Home » Resources » University of Sheffield Medical School Guide

Published on September 11, 2023

Reading Time: 10 min

University of Sheffield Medical School Guide

Sheffield Medical School is located in South Yorkshire and a very popular destination for aspiring doctors. There are 2 medicine courses available – the 5 year undergraduate as well as the fast track 4 year postgraduate course for widening participation students. Sheffield has a great reputation due to the friendly people and multi-culturalism. It has the #1 rated Students’ Union in the UK thus has many opportunities to suit everyone. So, no matter who you are, you will fit in well at Sheffield.

The origins of the University trace back to the founding of the Medical School in 1828. The location of the university is only 15 minutes away from the Peak District and has many green spaces. Continue reading this article to learn more about the entry requirements, course structure, life as a medical student at Sheffield and how to get support to get into Sheffield Medical School!

University of Sheffield Medical School Entry Requirements

Widening Participation

Access Sheffield  allows students from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to receive a contextual offer to study Medicine at the University of Sheffield. This is only for students who meet the requirements. The following are the entry requirements for this route of entry:

Admissions Test

Sheffield requires that all applicants sit the UCAT. Scores will help create a threshold, and any score lower than the threshold will automatically be rejected. Applicants who are considered are then ranked to determine a cut off for interviews. For 2023 entry:

• Threshold = 2430
• UCAT score needed to be invited to interview = 2850 (home students)
• UCAT score need to be invited to interview = 2840 (international applicants)

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Work Experience

Sheffield believes that work experience really helps aspiring medical students to gain an in depth insight into the role of a doctor and demonstrates commitment to the career. Therefore, it is important to undergo some work experience and volunteering. The university acknowledges that obtaining work experience opportunities can be difficult but they do accept activities such as:

• Volunteering at care homes/hospices
• Working with children
• Volunteering in the community with a wide variety of people

So, they emphasise more on volunteering than GP shadowing as it helps displays your own skills.

Personal Statement

Sheffield does not read or score your UCAS personal statements however, they will ask you about your experiences at interview. So, having a well-written personal statement with a lot to talk about can help you during interview preparation.

Those who meet the UCAT cut off and have a well-rounded UCAS application will be invited to interview. Sheffield aims to invited approximately 850 Home students and 150 International students for interviews. Interviews take place between December and January at the Samuel Fox House.

NB: offers start rolling out in Early March.

The interview includes 8 stations with 8 minutes being spent at each station.

The topics of these stations often relate to:

• Knowledge of Sheffield
• Medicine in a wider context
• Good Medical practice
• Attitudes and values
• The candidate as a person
• Communication skills
• Information processing

The score of applicants in their UCAT SJT is used as a score for a ninth station in the interview. Every station is marked out of 5 and an applicant needs at least 3/5 on each station to be considered first for an offer. However, this does not mean that scoring less than 3 on a station will lead to a rejection.

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Graduate Entry for Sheffield Medical School

The graduate entry degree at Sheffield allows students from widening participation backgrounds with a life sciences degree the opportunity to go straight to phase 2 of Medicine at the University of Sheffield and graduate within 4 years. The entry requirements for this route of entry are the following:

International Students Entry Requirements for University of Sheffield Medical School

The University of Sheffield has a worldwide reputation and attracts many international students from over 100 countries. There are only 18 places available for international students on the 5-year Undergraduate Medicine course which means it is extremely competitive.

International students must also sit the UCAT and their UCAT scores will be ranked separately to Home students. International students must also meet the cut off to be invited to interview. The UCAT cut off for internationals in 2023 was 2840.

Approximately 150 international students are invited for an interview and interviews will take place virtually.

How Many Places are there for Home and International Students at University of Sheffield Medical School?

Sheffield Medical School has 273 places for home students and 18 places for international students.

There are also 15 places available on the graduate-entry programme for home students. These students must be from widening participation backgrounds. However, there are no places for international students for Graduate Entry Medicine at Sheffield.

University of Sheffield Medical School Ranking

The Complete University Guide ranks Sheffield as the 15th placed Medical School in the UK. The Guardian ranks Sheffield as the 31st placed Medical School in the UK.

It’s important to keep in mind that university rankings are subjective and can be based on different criteria. These rankings must only be one of your deciding factors. It is important to have a holistic approach when making your decisions and consider which universities you would thrive in the most.

University of Sheffield Medical School Fees

For 2024 entry, Home students will pay £9,250 per year. International students at Sheffield Medical School will pay £39,950 per year.

University of Sheffield Medical School Acceptance Rate

In 2023, there were 2200 applications for 306 places. As a result, medicine at Sheffield is considered competitive, with an acceptance rate of 13.9% in 2023.

University of Sheffield Medical School Course Structure

The organisation of the course is unique to Sheffield as the 5 year course is split into 4 phases:

University of Sheffield Medical School Teaching Styles

Sheffield has a systems-based course and teaching methods include lectures and practical activities. For example, if the teaching block is cardiology then you will be having cardiology lectures, cardio anatomy practicals and group sessions to go through cases of cardiac patients. This benefits students by giving them a well-rounded perspective of the system. Sheffield has recently changed from using cadaveric dissections to prosections now as they believe it is a more effective way to learn from the specimen and plastination models.

University of Sheffield Medical School Term Dates

University of Sheffield Medical School Hospitals

Sheffield has many teaching hospitals spread across the North for placements.

• Northern General Hospital
• Royal Hallamshire Hospital
• Doncaster Royal Infirmary
• Barnsley Hospital
• Chesterfield Royal Hospital
• Scunthorpe General Hospital
• Diana Princess of Wales Hospital (Grimsby)
• Calderdale Royal Hospital (Halifax)

So, you will be gaining experience in Sheffield and outside of Sheffield to enhance your experiences.

University of Sheffield Medical School Interview Format

Sheffield uses an MMI style of interview. The interview includes 8 stations with 8 minutes being spent at each station.

University of Sheffield Medical School Interview Questions

• Why do you want to come to Sheffield to study medicine? It’s crucial to have an idea on why Sheffield is suitable for you. Key things to consider: the course structure, teaching style, campus life and the city itself. Reading around the university website and posts by current and former students will give an insight of what it’s like to study at Sheffield. Interviewers want you to be confident on why you want to come to Sheffield.
• ‘Outcomes for Graduates’
• ‘Good Medical Practice’ documents from the General Medical Council (GMC)Examples of qualities include: Compassion, Empathy, Communication, Leadership, Teamwork, amongst many more! It is also good to know about the NHS values and how you can embody these. It is vital to reflect on your experiences and link it back to medicine. An essential part of any medical interview is showing a strong ability to reflect on your experiences and taking key lessons away.
• What are your thoughts on the ongoing industrial action by Junior Doctors? An awareness of current issues in medicine is very important to have in the build up to an interview. Reading news articles about ongoing issues such as the Junior Doctor strikes will help answer this question. Structure is very important to make your answer clear and concise. In your answer, always present the ‘for’ and ‘against’ sections of the argument, before coming to your own conclusion. Remember – they are not necessarily testing you on your conclusion, but your awareness of the subject and your logical reasoning.
• Is it ever okay to discuss a patient case that you’ve seen in hospital with your colleagues? Confidentiality is a cornerstone of medical ethics. During your medical career, you will want to discuss your clinical experiences with your doctors and colleagues. It is important to respect the patients’ right to confidentiality when doing so. This is by making sure that you are not discussing any potentially identifying information. Also, by prevent any private conversations from being overheard.

Life as a Medical Student at University of Sheffield Medical School

In the first year, a typical day would include a mix of lectures and practical sessions from 9-5. However, as a medical student, your timetable will vary from day-to-day. Anatomy teaching is once a week whereas ILAs and GP placements are on alternating weeks. First year medical students are given Wednesday afternoons off to take part in societies, socialise and catch up with work.

Societies at Sheffield

The medical society is Sheffield’s largest society with over 1300 lifetime members. There are many sub-societies for sports, specialities and volunteering. The society organises socials throughout the year. Some examples are 3 balls held across the 5 years and club socials. Sheffield’s Peer Teaching Society has been a great help for many medical students during exam season. This is because it gives them the opportunity to be taught by older medical students. In addition, the medical society organises a Medic Family scheme. This to connect all first year students to mentors from second year.

Also, the university itself offers over 350 societies to suit everyone – from sports to arts and cultural to even baking! There is something for everyone to participate in.

Accommodation At Sheffield

Accommodation is offered in the City or Ranmoor/Endcliffe. The Ranmoor/Endcliffe village is the university’s own gated community with social spaces and a gym. There is always extra-curricular activities running that are all included in your rent! The accommodation is only a 15 minute walk to the medical school and 20 minute walk to the student union.

Intercalated Degree At University of Sheffield Medical School

Sheffield offers a wide variety of intercalated degrees for medical students in third year or above. These can be Bachelors of Science or Masters of Science. It could enable students to gain an in depth insight into a certain speciality or allow some amazing research experience. BSc options include research modules or specific modules for specific specialities. On the other hand, MSc options include Public Health, Endocrinology, Cardiology, Neurology and many more!

Does University of Sheffield offer a Bachelor of Science (BSc) Degree?

Yes, Sheffield offers an excellent BSc course which is quite flexible so it can tailor every student. From the first year, students have the opportunity to choose their path in terms of specialties. Students are given the freedom to carry out their own research using the latest equipment. Research projects can be lab-based, field projects in the Peaks or even abroad!

How Much of the University of Sheffield Medicine Course is Clinical vs Preclinical?

The 5-year medicine course is quite balanced. The first 2 years are mostly preclinical with some placements and contact with patients via the Patient as Educator Schemes. The final 3 years are fully clinical with very few lectures and students will be rotating through specialties within medicine.

Is University of Sheffield Medical School a Good Medical School?

The University of Sheffield is a Russell Group university and ranks highly as a medical school. It is ideal for all medical students however, it depends on what your priorities are when selecting a medical school. It is best to visit the university on their Open Days to gain a realistic insight of the place and speak to the friendly staff!

Support With Getting Into Sheffield Medical School

Ucat tutoring.

As Sheffield Medical School has competitive entry requirements, it’s a good idea to get a UCAT tutor to help you exceed the UCAT threshold. When looking for a good tutor, it’s wise to consider someone who has recently achieved an excellent UCAT score themselves and who has experience with tutoring. Your tutor should be able to assess your strengths and weaknesses to focus your lesson time on improving the areas you need improvement in.

Medicine Interview Tutoring

With an acceptance rate under 14% in 2023, entry to Sheffield is competitive. A large part of the admissions process is the MMI , which you’ll need to thoroughly prepare for if you’re serious about getting into Sheffield. We recommend booking in with a medicine interview tutor at Sheffield to get the most realistic preparation for the Sheffield interview. An interview tutor can help you to gain interview confidence, competence, and the knowledge-base you need to stand out from the crowd.

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Sheffield medicine personal statement (owain).

In this series of blogs, medical students and medicine offer holders share and explain their personal statement so that you can learn from our experiences and reflections. Owain received offers to read Undergraduate Medicine at Sheffield and Birmingham University.

Disclaimer: Please do NOT be tempted to use our personal statements as a model/foundation/plan. UCAS is very strict about plagiarism, more information can be found here .

Please remember that there is no such thing as a model personal statement. By definition, it is supposed to be unique and there is no "golden formula".

My best advice regarding personal statements is to ensure you have lots to talk about. Year 12 is the perfect opportunity to get involved in things to use as ammunition when writing. You want to have so many things to talk about that you can’t fit them all in your 4000-character statement! In addition, ensure you know what you’re talking about. Don’t mention a book you didn’t read properly or a condition you don’t know a bit about because interviewers (especially at Oxbridge) are likely to ask you about things you’ve mentioned in your personal statement.

In terms of the actual writing, I have three recommendations: use as many people around you as possible such as family members, teachers and people you know doing medicine to proofread your work and give advice; save all your drafts so you can easily go back if you don’t like something you’ve changed (I ended up with 11 drafts); and start big with way too many characters and examples so you can slim down later, leaving only the best. I started with a very short introduction:

“The appeal of medicine lies in its coupling of my scientific curiosity with a motivation to make a difference to patients’ lives.”

This sets the scene with a very short explanation of why I want to study medicine. It also serves as a signpost to the structure of the rest of my statement. I then launched into the main ‘stuff I’ve done’ section which does three things: it shows that I have gained insight into medicine to see whether it is for me; it shows that I am dedicated to medicine; and it shows how I have improved my skills. I started by talking about my weekly volunteering for two reasons: not everyone does it, so it made me stand out; and I found it by far the most insightful experience.

“In building relationships with nursing home residents […] I have developed my communication skills to overcome the barriers of dementia. From Eunice who told me “it’s not fun being old,” Bobby who told me “I used to be a teacher and now I’m nothing” and Stuart who requires two teachers to help him to his chair but excels in the word games, I have gained an insight into the importance of compassion and empathy in the doctor-patient relationship.”

I made sure to include specific examples but also to explain what my experiences taught me; it is worthless simply reeling off everything you’ve done, and it won’t get you anywhere. Notice the medicine buzzwords I have built my sentences around: communication, compassion, empathy, doctor-patient relationship etc. Although I didn’t do this as such, one way to go about writing your personal statement is to write down a number of ‘medicine buzzwords’ and then use examples and experiences to build sentences around them. I used this section as an opportunity to slip in some of the things I have done at school:

“My tailored communication to residents of varying personalities and degrees of memory, hearing and sight loss is a skill that I have honed through mentoring students in my school’s educational support department and spearheading a medical society to help younger students’ applications.”

I went on to do a similar thing for my hospital and GP placements:

“Talking with a surgical team whose list was cancelled during a week’s hospital placement allowed me to understand the strains on the NHS’ ability to maximise patient wellbeing despite resource shortages. As proof of the constant learning in medicine, I attended a morbidity and mortality meeting; doctors, students and nurses discussed the case of a patient who was undergoing treatment to remove an intestinal blockage caused by a laparotomy, highlighting the importance of informed consent. I was surprised to not witness a hospital referral during a week with a GP. When faced with an impressive diversity of patients and pathologies from discussing end-of-life drugs, to visiting a COPD sufferer at home and investigating hypotension with a deaf patient, I saw the doctors acting as gatekeepers to secondary care.”

Notice how each sentence consists of a very specific example of something I saw followed or preceded by what I learnt from it. You will have many examples to pick from after your work experience, but make sure you pick the ones that best showcase your insight and commitment.

For the second half of my ‘stuff I’ve done’ section, I spoke about some ‘sciencey’ things I had got involved in. I used this as part of my ‘story’ of why I want to do medicine, as well as to show how I used my initiative to go beyond my A-level curricula:

“After hearing from a histopathologist at a lecture, I was intrigued by her role. Wishing to explore further, I organised a placement. I was able to grasp first-hand the link we had mentioned in biology between communicable and non-communicable diseases during the doctor’s diagnosis of nasopharyngeal cancer from a patient with Epstein-Barr virus. On a research day in a biochemistry lab, I investigated cell shape: I was amazed at how starving the actin cytoskeleton […] could limit angiogenesis and thus tumour growth. Although we had studied microtubules in biology, it was the cell component’s clinical relevance which excited me. I learnt more about the use of cell lines reading ‘The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks’; I was fascinated by the invaluable good that came from the use of the HeLa line but unsettled by the lack of consent in obtaining them.”

Notice how I tell the reader that I endeavoured to organise the placement myself. I like to think this would have got me a couple of brownie points for resilience and initiative rather than having placements handed to me on a silver platter! It is also worth pointing out again that before my Oxford interview I ensured I had read up a bit about the things I had mentioned such as Epstein-Barr virus, the actin cytoskeleton and the HeLa line. However, remember also that they by no means expect you to have spent hours upon hours ‘revising’ each topic; you would just be expected to have a basic understanding of anything you mention.

I went on to a short commentary of some of the extra-curricular activities I am involved in, and most importantly how those experiences will help me with medicine. Again, they don’t care that you are captain of the football team or the Head Boy/Girl, they only want to her about things that you can link back to why you would be good at medicine. This is also a good opportunity for some subtle flexes:

“The many extracurricular activities I enjoy help me to manage stress. I maintain my fitness training at my swimming club and as a level one swimming teacher I use my strengths in patience and communication to challenge yet encourage swimmers of all abilities. Leading and navigating my Gold DofE team has developed resilience, skills in problem-solving and teamwork, and earning the roles of Deputy Head Student and Vice Chairman of the Sixth Form Committee pays tribute to my excellent communication, public speaking, organisation and leadership skills.”

“As a determined and motivated student, I am excited to pursue my scientific understanding of medicine and embark on a career which will suit my skills and interests.”

I finished with a very short conclusion which similarly to the introduction will not get me any credit, but I feel sums me up nicely and leaves a good lasting impression on the reader:

• 📝Personal Statement

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2024 How to Write a Medical School Personal Statement (11 Steps)

• By Med School Insiders
• December 2, 2023
• Medical Student , Pre-med
• Medical School Application , Personal Statement

Each piece of a med school application brings a unique set of anxiety-ridden challenges, but few equal that of the personal statement. A personal statement is much, much more than a narrative-version of your CV. Reiterating your grades and extracurriculars in complete sentences is not how to write a medical school personal statement.

A personal statement is an opportunity to tell your story. Why do you want to study medicine? What drives you? This is your chance to let an admissions committee know who you really are beyond your grades.

Of course, you’re studying to become a doctor, not a novelist, which means the idea of crafting your personal statement may seem daunting, to say the least.

In this guide, we’ll take a comprehensive, step-by-step look at how to write a medical school personal statement, including how to get started, everything you need to include, and common mistakes to avoid.

Article Sections

• Anatomy of Medical School Personal Statement

What Med School Admissions Committees Look For

How to get started.

• How to Write a Personal Statement

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Medical school personal statement examples, anatomy of a medical school personal statement.

A personal statement has a 5,300 character maximum, about 1.5 pages of single-spaced 12-point Times New Roman font. The challenge isn’t trying to fill in words; the challenge is selecting the key moments in your life that made you want to be a doctor and expressing them concisely.

A personal statement is made up of three parts:

Introduction

It’s essentially a short essay that uses your life experience to succinctly demonstrate why you’re the right person for the job. If someone’s making a movie about your life and the events that shaped your desire to become a doctor, what key moments do you want to highlight?

Your introduction must capture an admissions committee’s attention. Use the introduction to hook your readers. The first few sentences should entice them to read more.

There isn’t a perfect number of paragraphs or set structure. This is where you discuss the experiences that have shaped your personality, your desire to study medicine, and your dreams for the future.

This is the summary of your statement, and it should tie in directly to your introduction. Now is the time to emphasize why you want to be a physician and your future goals.

Learn more about the Anatomy of a Stellar Medical School Personal Statement .

Admissions committees need to know they’re accepting students who are ready to face the rigorous day-and-night grind of medical school. They have your CV and transcripts; now you need to demonstrate you have what it takes to succeed.

The personal statement is your chance to display your personality and highlight the experiences that shaped you. What drives you? What strengths and experiences will you bring to medical school? Why are you an asset?

The admissions committee isn’t looking for a list of your accomplishments. They want to know your story . Don’t tell the admissions committee you’re compassionate and driven; show them with tangible examples from your life.

So you’re a great listener. What’s a moment in your past that demonstrates this? If you care deeply about the wellbeing of others, what story from your life illustrates that passion?

1 | Read Real Personal Statement Examples

Right off the bat, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone—far from it. Every medical student who came before you has written personal statements, which means you have a wealth of examples to read and learn from.

Every personal statement is unique to the writer. Don’t expect to find a perfect blueprint you can copy off of, but reading several different personal statements will give you a sense of the themes, concepts, strategies, and stories that can help you find success.

If you know people in your own life who have successfully matriculated to med school, it’s a good idea to ask them if you can take a look at their personal statement. Med School Insiders compiled a database of personal statements donated by successful medical school applicants. Reading successful personal statements will give you an idea of what’s expected.

Reading bad personal statements can also give you an idea of what mistakes to avoid. Learn from our bad personal statement examples , which includes key insights into what you should do instead.

2 | Reflect on Past Experiences

Take this as an opportunity to reflect. Don’t think of it as brainstorming, and don’t worry about being creative just yet. Simply think back on key moments from your past.

Think of your personal statement like your superhero origin story. You may have excellent grades, abilities, and a natural aptitude for science, but why are you pursuing medicine? What moment or moments in your life revealed to you why you had to be a doctor?

Take Spider-Man. Yes, Peter Parker received his superpowers from a radioactive spider bite, but that’s not why he fights crime; Spider-Man fights crime so that what happened to his Uncle Ben never happens to anyone else. Bruce Wayne is incredibly smart, incredibly strong, and incredibly rich, but that’s not why he fights crime as Batman. Bruce Wayne became Batman so that no one else would lose their parents to a random act of violence like he did.

The truth is, a lot of superheroes have pretty similar motivations, and doctors have similar motivations, too. Your desire to become a doctor likely stems from a genuine intellectual interest in medicine, a desire to work closely with other humans, and a drive to help people and save lives. The other med school hopefuls you’re applying with have very similar motivations.

The key is digging deep and determining what you value most about becoming a doctor. Once you know that, think about the tangible experiences in your life that helped you realize those values.

Utilize our list of 25 medical school personal statement prompts as you ideate and reflect on your life to date.

3 | Choose Which Experiences/Traits to Highlight

Identify three to four personal strengths you are particularly proud of and want the admissions committee to know. Where did these strengths shine in your premedical years? What experiences helped you build on these strengths? This will make up the body of your personal statement.

Remember: writing a personal statement takes time—and lots of it. It will likely take several different attempts and drafts. After discussing your selected strengths, you may find that they don’t define you well enough or that there are better options. Don’t be discouraged. Give yourself plenty of time to reflect on and explore a variety of different strengths.

Don’t forget about the interview; the admissions committee will certainly ask you to further elaborate on the experiences outlined in your personal statement. Share personal stories that you want to be asked about and feel comfortable addressing.

Generally, personal statements involve experiences in the following categories:

• A passion for patient interaction
• Intellectual curiosity for medicine (academics, research, etc.)
• Dedication and discipline (medicine or another pursuit)
• Perseverance in the face of adversity
• Interpersonal and professional skills

How to Write a Medical School Personal Statement

4 | show, don’t tell.

If essays or storytelling aren’t necessarily your strong suit, think back to math class and those equations where the teacher made you show your work for the full grade. It’s not enough that you got the answer right; you had to show how you arrived at the answer.

Think of this in the same way. It’s great that you’re compassionate, but the admissions committee isn’t going to take you at your word. They want you to back up that claim with evidence. It is vital that you show the admissions committee you’re compassionate with concrete examples from your life that illustrate your journey to medicine.

It’s much more impactful to share a story that demonstrates specific qualities than it is to tell someone you have those qualities directly. Saying you are hardworking or resilient is not enough. You need to craft a story that allows the reader to infer those qualities about you.

5 | Leverage the Narrative-Based Approach

You are applying to medical school along with an immense number of other students with great grades, stellar qualifications, and impressive clinical hours. These are all key to your medical school application, but the best grades in the world won’t set you apart in the eyes of the admissions committee.

Your personal statement is a chance to stand out in a crowded field. Too many personal statements read like a CV but with full paragraphs, which quickly becomes monotonous.

Leverage a narrative-based approach so that the admissions committee is excited to learn more about you. Your entire application should illustrate your compelling journey toward becoming a doctor. Highlight how your experiences make you an asset who will contribute uniquely to the medical school.

It’s not enough to simply check off the boxes. The admissions committee wants to know your story.

Learn How to Develop a Cohesive Narrative for Medical School Applications .

6 | Create an Outline

After taking the time to reflect on the experiences and traits you want to include in your personal statement, create an outline to structure your approach .

You do not need to stick to it, but this is the general structure of most personal statements:

• Introduction (A strong hook to catch the reader’s attention—usually an anecdote or reflection that introduces the theme of your story. Hook the reader with the opening sentence.)
• Experience 1
• Experience 2
• Experience 3
• Conclusion (Tie your story back to the opening hook/theme. Summarize why you want to be a physician and what your future goals are.)

Remember, this is not a list of your accomplishments. The personal statement must read like a cohesive narrative, not a resume.

Establish a theme in the introduction that’s central to your desire to become a doctor. Each following paragraph will illustrate how your personal experiences have shaped that desire and prepared you for your journey. In the conclusion, gracefully tie back to your central theme or hook to turn the personal statement into a consistent, interconnected story.

7 | Force Yourself to Start Writing

It’s understandable and common to feel overwhelmed while writing a personal statement. In fact, if you don’t feel overwhelmed, it’s safe to say that you’re not taking this seriously enough.

Start with a theme, but don’t get stuck trying to come up with the perfect opening sentence. That comes later. Once you have a general outline, just start writing. See what happens, and—most importantly—be kind to yourself.

The first words you write won’t be perfect, but they will get you started. You should fully expect the first draft of your personal statement to be terrible. That’s okay. First drafts are never perfect.

Your first draft probably won’t look anything like your final essay. Put one foot in front of the other and just start writing. Get the ideas out and worry about editing later.

8 | Keep it Concise and Direct

In your subsequent drafts, focus on cutting down your words and being concise. It’s not your use of flowery language that will impress the admissions committee. Forget about extravagant word choices and convoluted sentence structure. You don’t have the space for poetic tangents anyway.

Use your words efficiently, and favor clear language over long, complicated words. It’s easy for readers to spot when you’re using a thesaurus, and it will only take away from your end message. Find the simplest way to say something.

For example:

Hard-working over Assiduous

Compassion over Magnanimity

Agree over Concur

Use tools like the Hemingway App to keep your language direct and concise.

9 | Take Some Time Away

Take time away from your drafts. Once you complete a draft, take a break, and let it sit. Go for a walk, watch some TV, or work on a completely different activity. After your break, come back to your personal statement with fresh eyes. You may find that the fantastic opening line you came up with isn’t so fantastic anymore, or that sentence you weren’t so sure about actually works really well.

Writing your personal statement will take time. Even if you feel extremely confident in your personal statement, take time away from it and come back.

10 | Refine, Review, and Edit

We recommend using editing apps like Grammarly and Hemingway Editor , but don’t rely on bots alone to catch possible mistakes.

Ask your friends and family for their first impressions on the content of your personal statement. Tell them to be brutally honest (because the admissions committee certainly will be.) Reach out to a mentor or people who have been through this process before.

Spelling or grammar mistakes indicate carelessness on your part and are an automatic red flag for admissions committees. Read over your work carefully, and ask others you trust to do the same.

The editing process is such a critical phase for your personal statement. Learn how to edit your personal statement to impress admissions committees.

11 | Invest in Essay Editing Services

Your medical school personal statement is arguably the most important piece of your application. While an excellent essay can lock-in your interview offer, a poorly-written personal statement can ruin your chances—even with stellar grades, impressive academic awards, and a notable list of extracurriculars.

Don’t risk your acceptance. Essay editing services can provide the help that friends, family, and mentors cannot.

Med School Insiders Personal Statement Editing Services includes careful analysis of content and tone as well as helpful insights into how you can improve your essay and impress admissions committees.

Avoid the following common personal statement mistakes .

• Don’t list your accomplishments or rehash your CV and extracurriculars.
• Don’t make spelling or grammar errors.
• Don’t overuse the word I. Doing so makes you more likely to state your accomplishments instead of telling a story.
• Don’t use flowery language or words you found in a thesaurus.
• Don’t explain to a physician what medicine is all about. Talk about yourself and your experiences; the admissions committee already understands medicine.
• Don’t state the obvious or use clichés. (Every applicant likes science and wants to help people.)
• Don’t lie or fabricate your personal stories.
• Don’t make excuses for poor grades or a low MCAT score.
• Don’t speak negatively about another physician or healthcare professional.
• Don’t plead for an interview or acceptance.
• Don’t edit your personal statement by yourself.
• Don’t procrastinate.

Learn more: 20 Personal Statement: Dos and Don’ts .

It’s important to read the personal statements of matriculated students. While you won’t be able to mimic someone else’s personal statement, you can still learn a lot from them, and reading different statements can spark ideas for your own essay.

We compiled a selection of real medical school personal statements from successful applicants. These statements are for reference purposes only and should not be plagiarized in any way. Plagiarism detection software is used when evaluating personal statements, and plagiarizing is grounds for an automatic disqualification.

Be sure to read the included feedback regarding the personal statements as well, as this will give you extra insight into what admissions committees are looking for.

Read Real Medical School Personal Statement Examples .

Medical School Personal Statement Editing

Don’t write your medical school personal statement alone—we can help. Med School Insiders offers a range of personal statement editing packages , from general editing to unlimited, in-depth editing with a physician who will be there to advise you every step of the way.

Learn more about our Comprehensive Medical School Admissions Packages . Our team of doctors has years of experience serving on admissions committees, so you’ll receive key insights from people who have been intimately involved with the selection process.

Next read: Guide to Understanding the Medical School Application Process

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Guides & Info

Medicine Personal Statement Examples

Last updated: 29/6/2023

• Is Medicine Right for Me?
• What do Doctors do?
• The Daily Life of a Doctor
• How to apply to medical school
• Different Routes into Medicine
• Factors to Consider
• Medicine at Oxford and Cambridge
• Your Fifth UCAS Choice
• Getting Your Grades
• Extra-curricular Activities
• What is the UCAT?
• Preparing for Your UCAT Test Day
• After Your UCAT
• BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT)
• Work Experience and Dental Schools
• NHS Work Experience
• Personal Statement
• Medicine PS Examples
• Dentistry PS Examples
• UCAS References
• Medical and Dental School Interviews
• Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs)
• Medical School Interview Questions
• Dental School Interview Questions
• Graduate Entry Courses
• Foundation and Access Courses
• International students
• Taking a Gap Year
• Medicine in Australia and NZ
• Medicine in Ireland Medicine in Eastern Europe
• Other Roles in Healthcare
• What Our "Plan B" Looked Like

The personal statement is changing to a series of free text questions for 2026 entry onwards, however it remains unchanged for 2025 entry. Keep an eye on our live updates page for guidance on these changes.

Your UCAS personal statement is a chance to showcase the skills, attributes, and experiences which make you suited to studying medicine. This can be quite a daunting prospect, especially when you have to boil all that down to just 4,000 characters, or 47 lines. 

In this article, we will:

• Examine examples of strong and weak medicine personal statements (interested in dentistry? Check out dentistry personal statement examples )
• Help you learn what you should and shouldn't include in your medicine personal statement

Want to explore more examples? Our Personal Statement Course has over 100 personal statement examples to help you find your voice.

What you'll find in this article:

Personal statement example 1 – introduction

Personal statement example 2 – introduction, personal statement example 1 – main body, personal statement example 2 – main body, personal statement example 1 – conclusion, personal statement example 2 – conclusion, strong personal statement example, weak personal statement example, what should your personal statement include.

To get into medical school , your personal statement should:

• Demonstrate meaningful insight into the profession, in the form of work experience or independent research. This could be partly based on medical books or podcasts when medical work experience is not possible
• Reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, and experiences
• Mention your extracurricular activities
• Discuss your academic interests and achievements

'At the moment I am working towards A-Level Chemistry, Biology and Maths. I achieved my AS-Level in Spanish but decided to drop it to focus on my more medically relevant subjects. I’ve been dreaming of studying medicine since I was a young child, and this was only reinforced when I contracted measles during my primary school exams. This affected my performance, but I found that this motivated me rather than discouraged me. A particularly inspiring doctor was heavily involved in helping me deal with the pressure. I was inspired by her to become a doctor myself and help others in a similar way. I am particularly interested in science and as such the practical side of medicine interested me. I’ve always enjoyed chemistry and biology the most, and have best learned when trying to link the pure science I learn in school back to it's practical and useful real-world applications. This is what is particularly interesting about medicine to me - you can apply pure, evidence-based science in a clinical and practical setting to have an obvious positive effect. Inspired by this interest, I invested in a subscription to the New Scientist magazine. I’ve read about a huge number of fascinating discoveries and how they’ve been applied in medical settings.'

This introductory section has some promising features, but there are areas the author could improve:

• The introductory sentence doesn’t catch the reader’s attention or hold much relevance for a medical personal statement. This sentence would be better suited to a subsequent section on the author’s academic achievements, and it would need to be supplemented with a suitable explanation as to why the chosen subjects are relevant for medicine. 
• The author uses an anecdote to illustrate why they first developed an interest in medicine. This is a good idea, but the anecdote they've chosen is not the most suitable. It references ‘primary school exams’, which uses the cliché of wanting to do medicine from a young age. This is not only overused, but is also underdeveloped. 
• The applicant mentions feeling under pressure for these primary school exams. This won’t fill the reader with confidence that the author will be able to cope with the demands of medical school and a career as a doctor. 
• The introduction should open with the anecdote rather than academic achievements. A strong and memorable opening line will catch the admission tutor’s attention, and gives the student an opportunity to summarise why they want to study medicine.
• It is far too long. A good introduction should be around 4-6 lines.

There are some parts of the introduction that are more effective:

• The part discussing why they enjoy chemistry and biology is useful – it links their love for pure science back to the passion they mentioned earlier for helping people. This demonstrates the blend of empathy and interest in science that medical schools will be looking for. 
• The same part also introduces the candidate’s reading of medical literature, which they could choose to discuss in more depth later in the statement, or which might be something that interviewers could choose to examine in more detail.

'From a young age, my real fascination in life has been science - in particular, the incredible intricacy of the human body. My passion to discover more about its inner workings fuelled my motivation to study medicine, and the challenging yet rewarding nature of the job leaves me certain that I want to pursue it as a career. I think that my chosen A-Levels have only made me more determined to become a doctor, while simultaneously allowing me to develop and improve my skills. I have become a better problem-solver by studying physics and maths, while also learning the importance of accuracy and attention to detail. I’ve particularly enjoyed chemistry, which has again helped me improve my problem solving skills and my ability to think rationally and logically. Throughout my chemistry and biology A-Levels, I’ve been required to engage in practical work which has taught me how to design and construct an experiment. I’ve also become better at communicating with other members of my team, something I witnessed the importance of during my work experience in A&E. During recent months, I’ve started reading more medical publications such as the Lancet and the British Medical Journal. I’ve been particularly interested in how this evidence-based science can be applied to clinical practice to really make an impact on patients.'

This introduction contains some useful reflection and demonstrates some insight, but is quite jumbled. The main areas of weakness are as follows:

• The content is good but much of it would be better suited to a later section and should be explored in more detail while being linked back to medicine (for example, the whole second half could be included in a longer segment on academia). 
• The applicant mentions that they improved their problem-solving skills. How did they do this? Why is this important in medicine? 
• They say that medicine is demanding but that this attracts them to the job. What experiences have they had to show the demanding nature of it? Why does this attract them to it? 
• The author also briefly mentions a stint of work experience in A&E, but the rushed nature of the introduction means that they can’t go into detail about the experience or reflect on what exactly they learned from it. 
• Similar to example 1, this introduction includes some clichés which detract from the author’s overall message. For example, that they have wanted to do medicine from a young age or that they love science (with no further explanation as to why). 
• It is far too long. Again, an introduction should be a succinct summary of why you're interested in medicine, and not a brief account of all of your experiences.

The stronger parts of this introduction include the following:

• The author does demonstrate that they can reflect on the skills they’ve improved through experience. For example, the analytical and problem-solving skills they gained from chemistry.
• The candidate shows an understanding of the link between evidence-based science and clinical application when discussing how they did further research around their physics course. This shows a good level of curiosity and insight.

'I first became interested in studying medicine when I carried out a work experience placement with my father an elderly care specialist. I really enjoyed the experience and it gave me a deeper insight into the challenges doctors face. I now believe that I better understand the resilience - both mental and physical - that doctors need to cope with the heavy workload and emotional challenges. A few months ago I was given the opportunity to attend work experience in St Mary’s hospital in Manchester where I visited and observed many different specialties and areas of the hospital like A&E and the labs and witnessed how doctors carried out their jobs. For the past year I’ve been doing some other volunteering work too, such as, taking meals around to patients on the ward, asking them about their experience in the hospital and just chatting with them about how they’re feeling. They’re often delighted to have someone to talk to especially during Covid when they weren’t allowed to receive visitors. I saw how my communication and empathy made a real impact on the mood of the lonelier patients. I spent a few days working in the same hospital, shadowing doctors and Allied Health professionals in the stroke ward. I became much more familiar with the process doctors used for treating stroke patients, and developed an understanding of the role that physiotherapists and occupational therapists have in their rehabilitation. On top of that I organised a placement with the emergency medicine doctors and spent time in the haemapheresis unit at St Mary’s.'

This example does contain some of the features we look for in a complete main body section but could definitely be improved: 

• The main issue with this is the list-like presentation, which goes hand-in-hand with a general lack of reflection or insight. Although it is good to discuss your work experience in your personal statement, it would be far better if the candidate focused on just one or two of the experiences mentioned, but went into far more detail about what they learned and the insight they gained. For example, after mentioning the role of Allied Health Professionals in the rehabilitation of stroke patients, they could go on to discuss how they came to appreciate the importance of these healthcare workers, and how the contribution of all these individuals within the multidisciplinary team is so important to achieving good outcomes.
• Statements like ‘I [...] witnessed how doctors carry out their jobs’ make it seem as if the candidate really wasn’t paying attention. They need to explain what they mean by this. Were they impressed by the doctors’ effective teamwork and communication skills, or perhaps by their positive attitude and morale? Did they seem well-trained and effective? What did they learn from this that might help them in the future?  ‍
• Similarly, the student simply states that they saw the effect of empathy on patients: ‘I saw how my communication and empathy made a real impact on the mood of the lonelier patients.’ This adopts a ‘telling’ approach, when the student needs to adopt a ‘showing’ approach. Simply telling us that they saw something does not adequately demonstrate an understanding of why those qualities are important, or what they actually mean. What does it mean to have empathy? What does that look like in real terms? How did they use it? What was the effect? Showing the tutor that you are empathetic is important, but simply saying it is disingenuous and shows a lack of understanding.
• The candidate spends a number of characters name-dropping the exact hospital they visited and its location, which isn’t the best use of valuable space, as it has no real impact on the message they’re trying to convey.
• Generally, it isn’t a good idea to talk about work experience with family members. Of course, this might be the reality, but try to have some other placements that you’ve organised yourself so that it doesn’t appear as if your family are doing all the hard work for you. At the very least, you could simply leave this information out.
• There are a few grammatical errors here, especially regarding the use of commas. It’s important to use a spell checker or to ask an English teacher to check your work for you before submitting your statement.

The better features of this example are:

• The candidate does show some insight into the role of a doctor when they talk about the resilience required by doctors to cope with the hard hours and challenging conditions. They just need to reflect in this way in other parts of the section, too.
• The author has clearly done a lot of work experience and is right to discuss this in their personal statement. Just remember that you don’t need to squeeze in every single little placement.

'I was pleased to be appointed as head boy in my last year of school, and as part of this role I headed up the school safety office. I carried out inspections of the dormitories, roll calls and helped in the running of school festivals and activity days. The office I was in charge of needed to ensure the safety of every student in the school and I helped plan and lead drills to prepare the students for storms, floods and fires. This role has made me a far better leader, and I also believe that I am now far more calm and logical when working under pressure or in uncertain situations. I’ve been an editor on the online school blog for over 2 years now and the experience has taught me how to work effectively in a team when under time pressure. In order to meet my deadlines I needed to remain motivated even when working independently, and I think that the diligence and work ethic I’ve developed as a result will be incredibly useful to me as a medical student. I took on the role of financial director for both the table tennis club and Model United Nations at my school. At first I struggled with the weight of responsibility as I was in charge of all of the clubs’ money and expenditures. However, I am now a far more organised individual as I came to appreciate the value of concise paperwork and of keeping a record of my actions. I not only manage the funds of the table tennis club but am also a regular member of it. I often play independently, and the lack of a specific coach means that I have to identify my own strengths and weaknesses. I am now far better at being honest about my weaknesses and then devising strategies for working on them. The sport has also allowed me to demonstrate my ability to work well in a team, but also to get my head down and work independently when necessary.'

This example is generally well written and showcases some of the features of a good main body section. However, there are some areas that can be improved:

• This section would benefit from the ‘show, don’t tell’ approach. Instead of explaining specific situations or events through which the candidate demonstrated certain attributes, they simply state them and then link them vaguely to a more general role or activity.
• The bigger problem, however, is that the author mentions a wide range of skills but falls short in linking these back to medicine.  ‍ For example, after reflecting on their role in the school safety office and the leadership skills they developed as a result, the author could talk about the senior role that doctors have within the multidisciplinary team and the importance of good leadership in a medical setting.  Similarly, the author mentions their ability to work independently but should really round this off by describing how this would benefit them in medical school, as the ability to progress your learning independently is crucial to success there. The student mentions an understanding of and proficiency with paperwork and recording their actions. Doctors must constantly do this when writing notes for each patient, so the candidate should really try to mention this in their statement to explain why their skills would be useful. The mention of teamwork could be followed by an explanation of why it is important in a medical setting and how the applicant witnessed this during their medical work experience. Finally, when the student talks about being able to identify and work on their weaknesses, they could use this as an opportunity to demonstrate further insight into the medical profession by discussing the importance of revalidation and audit in the modern NHS, or talking about how important it is for doctors to be able to work on their areas of weakness. 

Better aspects of this example:

• The applicant doesn’t simply list the activities they have been a part of, but also explains what they learned from these and the skills and attributes they developed as a result. This reflective ability is exactly what assessors will be looking for.
• The tone of the section is appropriate. The applicant doesn’t appear arrogant or over-confident, but at the same time, they manage to paint themselves in a good light, highlighting their range of skills relevant to medicine.
• This example uses the character count effectively. Unlike the earlier examples, almost all of the sentences serve a purpose and are succinct.
• They demonstrate a wide range of skills, most of which are very relevant to medicine.

' I am a resilient and empathetic individual and I think that I have the qualities to thrive despite the social and academic challenges of university. Through my work experience I’ve gained an insight into the difficulties doctors face but this has not dampened my enthusiasm. My placements and voluntary work have only strengthened my commitment and dedication to studying medicine.'

The effectiveness of a conclusion depends on the rest of the statement before it, so it is hard to judge how good a conclusion is without seeing what the candidate has mentioned in the rest of their statement. Assuming this follows on logically from the statement, however, we can say that this conclusion is generally good for the following reasons:

• It is brief, to the point, and highlights that the student holds some of the skills doctors need (this would of course need to be backed up with examples in the rest of the statement). 
• The author doesn’t introduce any new ideas here, as that would be inappropriate, but rather reiterates their determination, which is exactly what admissions tutors want to see. 
• The author demonstrates a balanced understanding of the demands of a medical career, illustrating this is a decision they have made rationally while considering the implications of their choice. 

As is always the case, this conclusion could still be improved:

• The mention of the social challenges of university is a bit too honest, even though these exist for everyone. Mentioning them could give the impression that the student struggles socially (which is not something they would want to highlight), or that they intend to dive into the social side of university at the expense of their studies. 
• If the candidate really insists on mentioning the social side, they should at least do this after discussing academics, and they should do it in the body of the statement, where they have space to explain what exactly they mean.
• The student describes themselves as empathetic. This should be avoided, as it should be evident from the statement itself.

'Over the years I have built up a large and extensive set of medical work experiences and volunteering opportunities. These have allowed me to demonstrate my ability to communicate effectively and work in a team, and they will allow me to become a more diligent student and effective doctor. I think that this, alongside my ability and strength of character mean that I should be considered for this course. I am excited to get started and begin to put my skills to good use.'

This is a reasonably strong conclusion. It provides a to-the-point summary of why the author believes they should be selected to study medicine and shows their excitement for starting this journey. However, there are some parts of this example that could be improved: 

• The author mentions 'ability' and 'strength of character.' These are nebulous terms and not specific to medicine or a medical degree in any way.
• The mention of a 'large and extensive range of medical work experiences' indicates overconfidence. Medical applicants are not expected to have any medical ability or any 'large and extensive range' of medical experience, nor is it probable that this candidate actually does (otherwise they wouldn’t need to go to medical school in the first place). Rather, medical students need a suitable set of skills and attributes in order to make the most of their medical education and become an effective doctor.
• On a similar note, the applicant says that their range of medical work experience will make them a better student and doctor, but this is only true if they can reflect on their experience and learn from it. Impassively watching an operation or clinic without properly engaging with it won’t make you a better doctor in the future.

We’ll now go on to look at an example of a strong personal statement. No personal statement is perfect, but this example demonstrates a good level of reflection, engagement and suitability to study medicine (we know this because the writer of this statement went on to receive four offers). 

It goes without saying that plagiarism of any of these examples is a bad idea. They are known to medical schools and will be flagged up when run through plagiarism detection software. 

Use these as examples of ways you could structure your own statement, how to reflect on experiences, and how to link them back to medicine and demonstrate suitable insight and motivation. 

'It is the coupling of patient-centred care with evidence-based science that draws me to medicine. The depth of medical science enthrals me, but seeing complex pathology affecting a real person is what drives home my captivation. As a doctor, you are not only there for people during their most vulnerable moments but are empowered by science to offer them help, and this capacity for doing good alongside the prospect of lifelong learning intrigues me. In recent years I have stayed busy academically - despite my medical focus I have kept a range of interests, studying Spanish and German to grow my social and cultural awareness and playing the violin and drums in groups to improve my confidence when working in teams and performing. This is similar to the team-working environment that dominates in medical settings, and I have found that my awareness of other cultures is a great help when interacting with the hugely diverse range of patients I meet during my volunteering work. The independent projects I am undertaking for my A-levels teach me how to rigorously construct and perform experiments, process data and present findings, developing my written communication. My work experience showed me the importance of these skills when making patients’ notes, and of course, medical academia must be concisely written and well constructed and communicated. Maths teaches me to problem-solve and recognise patterns, vital skills in diagnosis. Over the past two years, I have actively sought out and planned work experience and volunteering opportunities. My time last year in Critical Care showed me the importance of communication in healthcare to ensure patients understand their diagnosis and feel comfortable making decisions. I saw the value of empathy and patience when a doctor talked to a patient refusing to take her insulin and suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis. They tried to understand her position and remain compassionate despite her refusal. My experience deepened my insight into the realities of a medical career, as we were at the hospital for more than ten hours a day with breaks and lunches cut short by bleeps or calls from the ward. This helped me understand the physical resilience required by staff as I also came to appreciate the immense emotional burden they often had to bear. Despite this, the brilliant staff remained motivated and compassionate which I found inspirational. The Brighton and Sussex Medical School work experience and Observe GP courses I completed put emphasis on the value of holistic, patient-centred care, introducing me to specialities I had not previously considered such as geriatrics and oncology. Inspired by my experience I explored a variety of specialisms, reading memoirs (Do no harm) and textbooks (Oxford handbook of clinical medicine) alike. I investigated medical politics with my English persuasive piece, discussing the ethics behind the junior doctor strikes of 2016. I have been volunteering in a hospital ward since January, which helps improve my confidence and communication skills when talking to patients and relatives. I showed my ability to deal with unexpected situations when I found a patient smoking whilst on oxygen, and acted quickly to tell nurses. Over lockdown I felt privileged offering lonely patients some tea and a chat and seeing their mood change - it taught me that medicine is about treating patients as individuals, not a diagnosis. My work on the hospital door taught me to stay calm and interact assuredly with visitors, vital skills in public-service jobs like medicine. I coach tennis at a local club, planning and running sessions for younger children. I am responsible for players' safety and must manage risk while showing leadership qualities by making the sessions fun and inclusive. As a player, I am part of the self-run performance team, which forces me to better my ability without coaching. This means developing self-reflection and insight into my weaknesses, which I know to be integral skills for medics. One of the doctors I shadowed during my work experience was just starting her revalidation process and I saw the importance of self-awareness and honest reflection in meeting her targets and becoming a better doctor. I achieved my Gold Duke of Edinburgh certificate of achievement (and the Bronze and Silver awards), exhibiting my commitment and ability to self-reflect and improve. On our Silver expedition, we experienced severe rain, showing resilience by continuing when our kit was wet from day one. My diligence and academic ability will allow me to thrive in medical school, and I have the prerequisite qualities to become a compassionate and effective doctor. Despite the obstacles, I am determined to earn the privilege of being able to improve peoples' health. This is something that excites me and a career I would happily dedicate my life to.'

Strong personal statement example analysis

Introduction.

This statement is a good example of how a personal statement should be constructed and presented. The introduction is short and to the point, only dealing with the candidate’s motivations to study medicine while also demonstrating an insight into what the career involves. 

They demonstrate their insight briefly by mentioning that medicine involves lifelong learning. This is often seen as one of the challenges associated with the career but here they present it as an advantage which makes them seem more suited to the career. It also show they're a curious and interested individual who enjoys learning. 

The introduction's final sentence offers an opportunity for interviewers to probe the candidate further, to explore their curiosity, and ask them to explain what exactly attracts them to lifelong learning. An astute candidate would recognise this and try to think of a suitable answer in advance.

Paragraph 2 

The second paragraph opens the body of the statement by exploring the author’s academic interests. As with some of the previous example body paragraphs, the writer shows their reflective ability by explaining what each of their subjects taught them, and the skills they developed and demonstrated as a result. They improve upon this further by linking these skills back to medicine and explaining why they are important for doctors. 

This paragraph demonstrates the author’s work-life balance by showing their varied interests in languages and music, all without wasting characters by saying this directly. They also mention the diverse range of patients they encountered during their volunteering, which again implies an empathetic and conscientious nature while showing an insight into a medical career (particularly regarding the vast diversity of the patient cohort treated by the NHS). 

Their explanation of the relevance of maths could be more detailed, but again this could be something the applicant is hoping to be questioned on at interview. The candidate comes across as thoughtful and multi-talented, with the ability to reflect on their decisions and experiences, and with a suitable insight into how their strengths would play well into a medical career. 

In this particular paragraph, there isn’t much explanation as to how they drew their inferences about what a medical career entails from their volunteering and work experience (and what exactly these entailed), but these are explored in more detail later in the statement.

P aragraphs 3 and 4 

The next two paragraphs discuss the candidate’s work experience, beginning with a single work experience placement in detail. This is a better approach than the large lists of placements seen in the previous example body paragraphs. The author talks about a specific scenario and shows that they paid attention during their shadowing while also illustrating their ability to reflect on these experiences and the precise skills involved. 

The skills they mention here – communication, empathy, resilience – are skills that they specifically talk about developing and demonstrating through their activities in other parts of the statement. This shows that they have taken their learning and used it to inform the focus of their personal development. They also not only state that these skills are important for medics, but also explain why this is. For example, they explain that communication is important in helping patients relax and engage with their healthcare, and that resilience is required to deal with the antisocial hours.

In this section, the applicant briefly mentions a specific medical condition. This shows that they were engaging with the science during their placement and also provides interviewers with an opportunity to test the applicant’s scientific knowledge. Knowing this, the candidate would likely research diabetic ketoacidosis in order to be able to impress the panel. 

The author mentions some other virtual work experience opportunities they’ve been involved with and sets themselves up to discuss what these placements taught them. They then go on to explain the actions they took as a result of this, showing that they really engaged with the virtual placements and could identify what they learned and their areas of weakness. This is linked well to further reading and research they carried out, which illustrates their curiosity and engagement with medical science and literature. 

The reference to the junior doctor strikes at the end shows that they have engaged with medical news as well as the ethical side of medicine, which is something that many medical schools place a lot of emphasis on at interviews. Ideally, this section would explain how exactly they explored these different specialties and illustrate what they learned and how they developed their learning from the books mentioned.

Paragraphs 5 and 6 

These paragraphs discuss the applicant’s hospital volunteering and other extracurricular activities. The applicant doesn’t just state that they’ve volunteered in a hospital but goes into depth about the precise skills they developed as a result. They include an anecdote to illustrate their ability to react quickly and calmly in emergency situations, which is a great way to show that they’ve been paying attention (though this should really be backed up with an explanation as to why this is important in medicine). 

The candidate also shows their patient-centred approach when discussing how they cared for demoralised patients (again illustrating empathy and compassion). This style of healthcare is something that the modern NHS is really trying to promote, so showing an awareness of this and an aptitude for applying it practically will really impress your assessors. 

The author demonstrates another core attribute for medical students when talking about how their work on the front door of the hospital improved their confidence in communication, and they once more link this back to medicine. This last section could benefit from further explanation regarding the nature of their work on the hospital door and exactly how they developed these skills. 

In the second of these sections, the candidate simultaneously reflects on the skills they learnt from their tennis and explains how these apply to medicine, showing insight into the profession by mentioning and showing awareness of the process of revalidation. This will show assessors that the candidate paid attention during their work experience, reflected on what they learned, and then identified a way they could work on these skills in their own life.

The author name-checks the Duke of Edinburgh Award but then goes on to explain how exactly this helped them grow as a person. They link back to resilience, a skill they mentioned in an earlier section as being important for medics.

The conclusion is succinct and direct. Although clichéd in parts, it does a good job of summarising the points the candidate has made throughout the statement. They demonstrate confidence and dedication, not by introducing any confusing new information, but rather by remaking and reinforcing some of the author’s original claims from the introduction.

The following example illustrates how not to approach your personal statement. Now that you’ve read through the analysis of previous example passages and a complete example statement, try going through this statement yourself to identify the main recurring weaknesses and points for improvement. We’ve pointed out a few of the main ones at the end. You can even redraft it as a practice exercise.

' ‍ The combination of science with empathy and compassion is what attracts me most to a career in medicine. However, I wanted to ensure that the career was right for me so I attended a Medic Insight course in my local hospital. I enjoyed the course and it gave me new insight - the lectures and accounts from medical students and doctors helped me realise that medicine was the career for me. I was also introduced to the concept of the diagnostic puzzle which now particularly interests me. This is the challenge doctors face when trying to make a diagnosis, as they have to avoid differential diagnoses and use their skills and past experiences to come to a decision and produce the right prognosis. In order to gain further insight into both the positives and downsides of being a doctor, I organised some work experience in my local GP’s surgery. I managed to see consultations for chest pain, headaches, contraception and some chronic conditions which was very interesting. I also sat in on and observed the asthma clinic, which proved to be a very educational experience. During my experience, I tried to chat to as many doctors as possible about their jobs and what they enjoyed. I recently took up some work volunteering in a local elderly care home. Many of the residents had quite complex needs making it arduous work, but I learned a lot about caring for different people and some appropriate techniques for making them feel comfortable and at home. I became a better communicator as a result of my experience Nevertheless I really enjoyed my time there and I found it fulfilling when the patients managed to have fun or see their family. I appreciated how doctors often have high job satisfaction, as when I managed to facilitate a resident to do something not otherwise available to them I felt like I was making a real difference. My academic interests have also been very useful in developing skills that will be crucial as a doctor. I chose to study Physics and business at a-level and these have helped me develop more of an interest in scientific research and understanding; I’ve also become a more logical thinker as a result of the challenging questions we receive in physics exams. I know how important communication is as a doctor so I chose to study Mandarin, a language I know to be spoken widely around the globe. I was the lead violin in my school orchestra and also took part in the wind band, showing that I was willing to throw myself into school life. I really enjoyed our school’s concert, in which I had to perform a solo and demonstrate that I could stay calm under pressure and cope with great responsibility and i think that I’m now a better leader. This skill has also been improved in roles within my school on the pupil council and as form captain, which have improved my self-confidence. I needed to work hard in order to achieve my bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh awards, and have dedicated much of my time outside school to this endeavour over the past few years. I endured weekly sessions of Taekwondo, worked voluntarily in the charity shop Barnardo’s and took part in violin lessons.  As I’ve demonstrated throughout this statement I have an affinity for music, and so at university I plan to get involved with orchestras and bands. I also want to widen my horizons and discover new interests and hobbies, while trying to make new friends and cultivate a good work-life balance. I’m also keen to hike in the university’s surrounding territories. If I were allowed to study medicine, it would not only allow me to achieve one of my life goals, but to prove to you that I can become an effective, and successful doctor. I am absolutely dedicated to the study of medicine and know that I have the prerequisite skils and qualities to thrive in medical school and become a credit to your institution.”

Weak personal statement example analysis

• This personal statement does have some promising features, but overall it isn’t well structured and lacks appropriate reflection and insight. You can see this by comparing it to the strong example above. The author in this weak example very rarely describes what exactly they learned or gained from an experience and rarely links this back to medicine. 
• It reads quite like a list, with the candidate reeling off the experiences they’ve had or activities they’ve taken part in, without going into any real depth. They also use some vocabulary that implies that they really weren’t enjoying these experiences, such as when they speak of ‘enduring’ their time doing taekwondo, or of caring for residents being ‘arduous’ work. You don’t have to enjoy every activity you take part in, but implying that caring for people (a huge part of the job you are applying for and claiming to enjoy) is something you consider a chore isn’t a great start. This statement also has some questionable grammar and punctuation errors, which raises a red flag. Don’t forget to proofread your statement carefully before you submit it.
• The candidate often starts off their sections in a promising way. For example, by stating that they started volunteering in a local GP practice to gain more insight into the profession, but they rarely actually follow through on this. You never find out what insight the candidate actually gained or how they used this to inform their decision to apply for medicine. 
• Such lack of explanation and specificity is a theme throughout the statement. In the introduction, they say that personal accounts and lectures confirmed their wish to become a doctor, but they don’t actually explain how or why. They mention that their school subjects have helped them think more logically or improved their communication skills (which is good), but then they never go on to explain why this is relevant to medicine. They talk about leadership and self-confidence but again don’t link this back to the importance of self-confidence and the prominence of leadership in a medical setting.

To create an effective medicine personal statement, you need to provide plenty of detail. This includes concrete experiences demonstrating qualities that make a good doctor. If you can do this authentically, humbly and without selling yourself short, your personal statement will be in very good shape.

‍ ‍ If you're looking for more inspiration to craft a compelling medicine personal statement, check out our Personal Statement Online Course . It has over 100 personal statement examples, in-depth tutorials, and guidance from admissions experts, to help you create a ready-to-submit personal statement in just three days.

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

With its history dating at least 1828, Sheffield is one of the oldest medical schools in the UK. Sheffield offers an integrated, 5-year course, taught with the patient-centred approach.

Sheffield is notable for its famous Student Union, which has been voted number one student union in the UK for the past ten years! Sheffield’s Student Union is also one of the largest in the UK in terms of societies, students involved and facilities.

Furthermore, located in South Yorkshire, medical students at Sheffield have access to first-class academic and sports facilities on the campus.

Pre-interview Selection: 🔢 How Sheffield selects for interviews?

GCSEs & A-levels:  Sheffield doesn’t rank candidates based on the GCSE scores or predicted grades. These are not used beyond checking if you meet minimum entry requirements.

Personal Statement:  Not used when shortlisting candidates, but may be brought up and discussed during interviews.

UCAT:  UCAT interview cut off is set each year depending on the number of applications and average scores. The top-scoring 1000-1200 candidates are invited for an interview at Sheffield.

📊 What is the lowest required UCAT score to get an interview at Sheffield?

🇬🇧 Home Students:  In the past 4 years the interview UCAT cut off at Sheffield averaged around 2660-2780, while the average score of those invited to interviews is usually above 2800, so in the top 10%.

🌏 International Students:  The interview UCAT cut off for international students historically averaged around 2700-2760

📈 Want to save yourself some  time, stress and money  preparing for the interview at Sheffield? Prepare with  Medfully , the best interview preparation tool for self-paced interview preparation and use the code BLOG10 for 10% off!

📤 When does Sheffield send out interview invitations?

Sheffield starts sending out interview invitations as early as mid-November. For 2022 entry, all candidates were informed about the interview/rejection on one day (19th of November).

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

🇬🇧 Home Students:  For 2022 entry, 1728 applications from the UK resulted in 1144 interviews at Sheffield, which is 66% of all candidates who applied.

🌏 International Students:  For 2022 entry, out of 251 international students who applied 96 were offered an interview (38% of all internationals who applied).

Interviews at Sheffield: 🗓️ Sheffield Medicine Interview dates:

Interviews at Sheffield Medical School take place between the end of November and mid-February.

💬 What’s the interview format at Sheffield?

Pre-Covid, interviews at Sheffield used to be in the MMI interview format. There were always 8 stations, each 7-8 minutes in length.

In the last two years, however, interviews at Sheffield were virtual and in the panel format. They lasted for 30-40 minutes and involved two interviewers. Below you’ll find the scoring system used in interviews at Sheffield.

📊 Sheffield Interview Scoring System:

Each station/question on the Sheffield interview is scored out of 5, with 5 being the best possible score. You’ll be graded on what you say and how you say it. You can get up to 5 points extra from UCAT SJT according to the following conversion system (table taken from  Sheffield’s website ):

The total score you can get is 45 points. In the past two years, the minimum interview score to get an offer from Sheffield was 36/45 in 2020 and 37/45 in 2021.

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

🇬🇧 Home Students:  Last year, after 1144 interviews, Sheffield has given out 770 offers. This means you had a 68% chance to receive an offer if you’ve been invited to an interview at Sheffield!

🌏 International Students:  For 2022 entry, Sheffield has given out 40 offers after 96 interviews (42%).

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

• Prepare your interview attire prior to the interview, checking if you feel comfortable and confident in it and if it isn’t stained.
• Find a quiet space, with good lighting (best if it’s natural), plain background and good wifi. Conduct at least one mock interview in that place to test everything and get your brain to associate the location with an interview mindset.
• Check your internet connection, microphone, camera and speakers.
• Prepare your ID

🤵‍♀️ What are the interviewers like at Sheffield?

Interviewers at Sheffield come from a varied set of backgrounds. In your Sheffield interviews, you can face lecturers, medical staff, biomedical scientists, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical students, patients and laypeople.

⏳ How long does it take to hear back from Sheffield?

Sheffield sends replies to all candidates in bulk, usually during the first half of March.

🧠 Sheffield Medicine Interview Questions:

Sheffield is the only medical school to send students questions they will be asked during their interview alongside the invitation. The questions at Sheffield are usually around the following topics:

Communication skills

• What makes for good communication skills in medicine?
• How can medical students learn to be better communicators?
• Take us through your today’s journey from your home to the interview.

Depth and breadth of interests (achievements in specific fields)

• How will your extracurriculars help you become a better doctor?
• Burnout rates are one of the highest in medicine among all professions. How will you manage the stress, pressures and emotional toll that you’ll likely experience as a doctor?

Evidence of commitment for caring

• What motivates you in medicine?
• Tell us about a situation where you showed empathy.

Knowledge of and interest in study in Sheffield

• What made you apply to Sheffield Medical School?
• How will you contribute to Sheffield?
• What societies would you like to join or establish at Sheffield?

Medical work experience/Extended Project Qualification

• What has been the most challenging thing about doing your EPQ and how have you overcome it?
• Have you witnessed any examples of inappropriate behaviour during your work experience?
• What’s the single most important lesson you took away from your work experience?

Motivation for medicine

• What steps have you taken to find out if medicine is the right path for you?
• Why would you make a good doctor?

Information processing skills

• A 14-year old boy is rushed into A&E after a car crash. The patient is unconscious and has sustained huge blood loss as a result of the accident. Together with your team, you decide the boy requires an urgent blood transfusion. As you are about to take the boy into the OR, his parents arrive and forbid you to carry on with the blood transfusion on religious grounds. How would you proceed, and what factors should you consider?
• Imagine you are on a raft and swimming towards a deserted island. Luckily you have a backpack with a few necessary items for survival. Suddenly your raft starts to sink. You need to get rid of five out of the ten items listed below. Which one's would you choose and why? Items: Box of matches, Water repellent jacket, Hammock, Sunscreen, Box of sardines, Mirror, Cell phone, Encyclopedia, Flip flops, Knife.

Understanding the nature of medicine

• What are the largest challenges doctors face nowadays?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a GP and the first point of contact for a patient?
• What are the long-term consequences of Covid-19 on the NHS and its patients?

Values and attitudes

• How would your friends describe you?
• What are the 3 most important qualities for a doctor?
• Empathy vs sympathy - what’s the difference, which one is more important in medicine and how can they be cultivated among medical students?
• If you could choose to allocate an additional £20 million to either of the following areas of healthcare, which one would you choose and why? Cancer research, mental health, Covid-19 research, palliative care, prolonging life research.

Outside interests

• What do you like doing in your spare time?
• What’s the one thing you are most proud of?
• Tell us about a book you’ve read recently that made a lasting impact on you.

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

Please note that these aren’t questions that have been asked at Sheffield Medical School in past years. Publishing such information would be against Sheffield’s policy. The above questions are adjusted for the interview style at Sheffield and are meant to give you a broad sense of the questions you may face.

✅ Sheffield Medical School Interviews: 3 Tips

Get strangers to interview you

Practically anyone can interview you at Sheffield - from doctors to medical students to academics and patients. The more variety you’ll get during your interview practise the better prepared you’ll be to be interviewed by people from various backgrounds at Sheffield. Reach out to your friends, family, teachers, fellow candidates - the more variety the better.

Study the NHS Constitution and GMC’s Good Medical Practice

The NHS Constitution and GMC’s Good Medical Practice are not only a great insight into doctors’ work in the NHS but are also among advised pre-interview reading by Sheffield.  The NHS Constitution  outlines what the patients and staff working in the NHS can expect from the NHS and what the NHS expects in return.  GMC’s Good Medical Practice   sets out guidelines for doctors working in the NHS and will help you understand what it means to be a “good doctor”. These documents aren’t the easiest reads, but they may come in handy for your interviews and help you make a good impression on the interviewers at Sheffield and beyond.

Take advantage of the questions you are sent

It’s quite unique for a medical school to send interview questions to candidates beforehand. Therefore, you don’t want to miss out on this opportunity. Prepare bullet-point answers to each of the questions you are sent, as it’s literally guaranteed they’ll come up during your Sheffield interview.

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

Related Blogs

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

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

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

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• Application Guide
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Medicine at Sheffield University can be traced back to 1828, and it now takes around 300 students annually into its five-year programme. 

Sheffield Medical School is currently ranked 15th in the UK for medicine by the Complete University Guide 2024 and 25th in the UK by the Guardian.

About The Course

Sheffield’s MBChB medical programme is designed to develop excellent doctors with a strong focus on patient-centred care.

Students are taught through a variety of means to provide a rich learning experience and content is constantly reviewed to ensure students leave with the most up to date research and knowledge.

Sheffield’s five-year Medicine programme takes a patient-centred approach, with focus on common and crucial clinical conditions. The integrated structure of this course ties clinical Medicine to medical sciences and allows students to develop clinical competencies from the beginning of the programme.

Structure Of The Course

T he first year is structured in a largely ‘systems-based’ way, for example, Cardiovascular, Gastrointestinal, Musculoskeletal etc. Integrated into these modules, students are taught about population health, medical ethics and clinical skills. Although the majority of phase I is based at the medical school, students still spend a significant amount of time in clinical environments including learning clinical skills in the Northern General Hospital and experience within general practice.

Phase two starts with a six-week research project in which students develop their research skills. Following this, students continue their learning in medical science, building upon phase one content. Phase two gradually increases students’ clinical contact in which more time is spent on wards, theatres and general practice. Students also develop their clinical skills in this phase, learning how to take histories and perform examinations. Phase two finishes with a twelve-week clinical placement in which these clinical skills can be put into practice.

Phase three is entirely clinically based, where students engage in sub-specialty placements in, for example, Paediatrics, Psychiatry and Obstetrics & Gynaecology. However, students still participate in university teaching with lectures, group work and tutorials. Finally, students have the opportunity to study an area of interest in a Student Selected Component.

The final year at Sheffield aims to prepare their students for the start of their foundation jobs as doctors. This includes two more placements and a student assistantship in addition to their final examinations.

Academic Requirements

GCSEs: 5 GCSEs at grade 7/A, with at least grade 6/B in Maths, English Language and the science subjects (Dual Award Science also acceptable)

A-levels: AAA To include Chemistry or Biology and a second science. OR AAB in addition to an A in a relevant EPQ.

Scottish Higher: AAAAB

Scottish Advanced Higher: AA Chemistry or Biology and another science subject

International Baccalaureate: 36 points 6s in Higher Level subjects (to include Chemistry or Biology and another science subject) and no less than 4 in each of the Standard level subjects.

IELTs (International applicants only): 7.5 with a minimum of 7.0 in each component

Bachelor's Degree (Graduates only): Minimum of 2:1 in a Bachelor’s degree and BBB at A-level.

Mitigating Circumstances

Resits policy: A-level resits are accepted, however are limited to one resit per A-level.

Extenuating circumstances: If your studies have been disrupted due to extenuating circumstances, applicants can fill out Sheffield’s Disrupted Studies form which enables all candidates to be considered fairly.

Deferred entry: Students are welcome to apply for deferred entry into the medical programme, however, you should state this on your initial UCAS application.

Transfers: Requests to transfer to Sheffield Medicine from another medical school are not accepted.

Further Entry Requirements

Work experience: There is no specified number of hours in work experience required for admission, however, as experience is explored in the interview stage it is highly recommended.

Personal statement: Personal statements are not read or assessed during the application process.

Admissions Process

Application to Sheffield Medical School must be done via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Deadlines for submission are earlier for medical courses, typically mid-October. This application will include all of your academic history as well as your personal statement and other qualifications/achievements.

Admissions Tests:

UCAT ✅ All candidates are required to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) in order to apply for Medicine at Sheffield. Candidates will be ranked according to their UCAT score to determine who is invited to interview. The Situational Judgement Test (SJT) component is only considered for applicants invited to the interview stage. Applicants who score below the 40th centile will not be considered. In terms of UCAT scores required to be invited for an interview, in 2023, the minimum score needed was 2850.

Interview Type: MMI

Interview Topics: If you receive an offer to interview at Sheffield, these will take place usually between December and January . Sheffield uses Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) for the interview stage of admissions.

These consist of eight stations which aim to assess candidates’ knowledge of Sheffield, communication skills, ethics and information processing amongst other qualities. Additionally, applicants’ SJT scores from the UCAT are considered in a ninth virtual station. 

You can learn more about interviews for Sheffield Medical School in our school-by-school guide .

Candidates are given a score from one to five for each of the nine stations with the maximum score being 45 overall. Based on interview scores, decisions about offers are made and typically sent out from March.

Admissions Statistics

Teaching Methods

Teaching style: Sheffield Medical School delivers an integrated teaching style in which students learn through lectures, seminars, group work and practical work. Additionally, students gain clinical experience and teaching from the onset where they learn from both clinicians and patients themselves.

Intercalation mode: Intercalation is also possible at Sheffield from the end of Year 3, through which students can study a variety of Master’s degrees in an extra year.

Graduate Prospects

In 2021, 100% of graduates from Sheffield Medical School were in full-time employment or further study 15 months after the completion of their course.

What is the UCAT score needed for Sheffield Medicine?

Applicants are only considered if they score above the 40th decile in the UCAT. After this, applicants are ranked according to their UCAT score and the top ~1000 receive an interview. In 2023, the minimum score required for an interview was 2850.

What A-levels are needed for Sheffield Medicine?

Sheffield applicants require AAA in their A-levels including Chemistry or Biology and a second science. Alternative entry requirements and contextual offers are outlined above in ‘Entry Requirements’.

Can you intercalate at Sheffield?

Students have the option to intercalate with a range of Master’s level degrees from the end of year three of their medical course.

Is Sheffield a Russell Group University?

Yes, Sheffield University is one of the 24 Russell Group Universities in the UK and world leading in research, including cancer treatments and heart failure.

School Details

Key information.

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The Medical School Personal Statement: How To Stand Out

Posted in: Applying to Medical School

Impressive GPAs and MCAT scores, research experience, physician shadowing , and meaningful volunteer work are only one part of a successful medical school application . You may meet all other medical school requirements , yet face rejection.

One thing can help you stand above the rest : A compelling personal statement.

The medical school personal statement is important because it highlights your hard work, your pre-medical school accomplishments, and why you’re a better candidate than everyone else. 

In other words: Who are you, what makes you unique, and why do you deserve a spot in our school?

We’ve helped thousands of prospective medical students increase their odds at acceptance with better personal statements. Now, we’ll show you exactly how to do it. 

Working on your personal statement? Speak with a member of our enrollment team who can walk you through the step-by-step med school application process from start to finish.

Table of contents, what’s in a great med school personal statement.

An excellent medical school personal statement should contain:

• Passion for an area of the healthcare field.
• Storytelling that captures the reader’s attention from the first sentence.
• Emotion and personality to show (not tell) admissions committee members who you are.
• A unique answer to the question, “Why do you want to be a doctor?”

A powerful personal statement shows that you are the kind of candidate who will make an exceptional physician and be a valuable asset to the school during your medical education. Additionally, it helps to distinguish your application from the many other students with similar MCAT scores and GPAs.

A weak personal statement would, in turn, have the opposite effect.

Not only does the personal statement weed out unqualified candidates, but it also serves as a foundation for many interview discussions and questions . 

Admission committee members often only have a few minutes to review an application. Personal statements provide them with the right amount of information. Since it’s possible this is the only part of your application they’ll read, it needs to be perfect .

When writing your personal statement, you’ll also want to note the AAMC core competencies that are expected of all medical professionals. Some, if not all, of these competencies should shine through in your application essay .

The AAMC premed competencies include: 

• Professional competencies:  Factors like communication skills, interpersonal skills, commitment to learning and growth, compassion, dependability, and cultural awareness and humility
• Science competencies:  Understanding of human behaviors and living systems, both of which are best demonstrated in data-driven measures like research, MCAT scores, and science GPA (in other words, not things that necessarily need to be displayed in your personal statement)
• Thinking & Reasoning competencies:  Critical thinking, reasoning, scientific inquiry, and written communication

It’s important to show passion for something specific — a group of underserved people, a type of patient, the benefit of a particular area of medicine, etc. Your passion should be evident, non-generic, and authentic. Ask yourself, “What makes a good doctor?”

It’s crucial to avoid cliches in your personal statement, like claiming you want to become a doctor “to help people.”

Dr. Renee Marinelli, Director of Advising at MedSchoolCoach, warns that certain cliches may not truly represent meaningful experiences that influenced your decision to pursue medicine.

You may have decided to become a doctor from experiencing a kind physician as a child, but that personal experience doesn’t convey genuine passion. Your enthusiasm for medicine doesn’t need to originate from a grand experience or sudden revelation.

Your interest in medicine probably developed gradually, perhaps when you fell in love with psychology during college and volunteered at nursing homes. You don’t need a lifelong dream to demonstrate passion and become an outstanding doctor.

2. Storytelling

A memorable personal statement captures the reader’s attention from the first sentence, which you can do with an interesting personal story or anecdote. Including some creativity, ingenuity, humor, and character.

Immersing the admissions committee in your personal statement allows you to show , not just tell , how your experiences have impacted your journey to medicine.

Don’t repeat the data your admissions committee can read on the rest of your application — SHOW the passions and experiences that have led you to this field using a narrative approach.

Consider the following examples of statements about a student’s volunteer experience at a food pantry:

"“Through my work at the local food pantry, I came to understand the daily battles many individuals face, and it allowed me to develop deeper empathy and compassion.” “When I saw Mr. Jones, a regular at the kitchen, struggling to maneuver his grocery cart through the door, I hustled over to assist him. My heart sunk when I saw he was wearing a new cast after having been assaulted the night prior.”

Which do you think performed better in terms of conveying personal characteristics? Your personal statement is a deep dive into one central theme, not about rehashing all of your experiences. 

3. Emotion & Personality

An engaging personal statement allows your unique personality and real emotions to shine through.

As Dr. Davietta Butty, a Northwestern School of Medicine graduate, avid writer, pediatrician, and MedSchoolCoach advisor, puts it,

“I think the best personal statements are the ones that showcase the applicant’s personality. Remember that this is your story and not anyone else’s, and you get to say it how it makes sense to you.” 

This is why storytelling is such an important part of personal statement writing. Your writing process should involve quite a bit of writing and editing to express emotion in a relatable, appropriate way.

A Note On Writing About Tragedy

One way you can show who you are is by expressing an appropriate level of emotion, particularly about challenging or tragic experiences. (But don’t worry — not everyone has a tragic backstory, and that’s perfectly fine!)

If you are discussing a tragedy, don’t go into an extended explanation of how you feel — show emotion and your personality while sticking to the plot.

Personal tragedies, such as the death of a loved one, can powerfully motivate a personal statement. In a field where life and death constantly clash, experiences with death might appear impressive qualifications; however, approach them cautiously.

Focus on the reasons behind your motivation, rather than the details of the tragedy. Explain how the experience impacted your medical career aspirations, including skill development or perspective changes.

How have you applied these new skills or perspectives? How would they contribute to your success as a medical student?

4. Why You Want To Be a Doctor

Becoming a doctor is no small feat. What journey brought you here?

Writing things like “I want to help people” or “I want to make a difference” won’t set you apart from all the other students applying for medical school .

Knowing who you want to serve, why you want to help them (in story form), and where you’d like to end up will show admissions officers that you are serious about your medical career.

After all, this career doesn’t just involve many years of post-graduate education — you need a significant motivation to see this career through. That’s what admissions committees are looking for!

Read Next: Medical School Interviews: What To Do Before, During & After  

How long is a personal statement for medical school?

Your statement is limited to:

• 5,300 characters (including spaces) on the AMCAS application ( MD programs )
• 5,000 characters on the TMDSAS (Texas MD programs)
• 5,300 characters for AACOMAS ( DO programs )

That’s roughly 500-700 words, or 3 double-spaced pages of text.

We typically suggest our students divide their personal statement into about 5 full paragraphs — an intro, 2-3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Pro tip: Do not type directly into the text box — if something goes wrong, you’ll lose all of your work. Write in another program first, then copy and paste the edited copy into the application text box.

Use a text-only word processing tool (TextEdit on Mac devices or Basic Text Editor on Windows), or type the essay into Microsoft Word or a Google Doc. Just remember to save the file as a *.rtf. This will eliminate formatting issues when you copy and paste the essay into the AMCAS box.

Read Next: How to Successfully Reapply to Medical School and Get a “Yes!”

How To Write a Personal Statement For Medical School

Your personal statement is an opportunity to showcase your passion for medicine and your unique experiences. Be genuine, focused, and concise; your personal statement will leave a lasting impression on medical school admissions committees.

Some questions you may want to consider while writing your personal statement are:

• 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 has yet to be disclosed in another application section?

In addition, you may wish to include information such as unique hardships, challenges, or obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits. Comment on significant academic record fluctuations not explained elsewhere in your application.

With thousands of students, we’ve developed a nine-step process for how to write a personal statement that’s sure to get noticed. Follow these steps in order to uplevel your personal statement writing.

1. Choose a central theme.

Sticking to one central theme for your personal statement may sound tricky, but sticking with a central theme can give your statement more of a rhythm.

Here are a few examples to use when thinking of a central theme:

• What is an experience that challenged or changed your perspective on medicine?
• Is there a relationship with a mentor or another inspiring individual that has significantly influenced you?
• What was a challenging personal experience that you encountered?
• List unique hardships, challenges, or obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits.
• What is your motivation to seek a career in medicine?

2. Choose 2-4 personal qualities to highlight.

Keep this part brief and highlight the strengths that will make you an exceptional doctor.

What sets you apart from others? What makes you unique? What are you particularly proud of about yourself that may not be explained by a good GPA or MCAT score?

Here are a few examples of quality traits great doctors possess:

• Persistence
• Reliability
• Accountability
• Good judgment under pressure
• Excellent communication skills
• Leadership skills

3. Identify 1-2 significant experiences that demonstrate these qualities.

In this section, you should include that these experiences exemplify the qualities above and outline your path to medicine.

The top experiences college admissions seek are research projects , volunteer activities, and mentorship.

Here are a few ways to narrow down what makes an experience significant:

• Which experiences left you feeling transformed (either immediately, or in retrospect)?
• Which experiences genuinely made you feel like you were making a difference or contributing in a meaningful way?
• Which experiences radically shifted your perspectives or priorities?
• Which experiences have truly made you who you are today?

Pro tip: If you’re still in your third year of pre-med and want to participate in more experiential projects that will support your future medical career, check out Global Medical Brigades . We partner with this student-led movement for better global health, and brigades are a transformative way to begin your medical career.

4. Write a compelling introduction.

Your personal statement introduction is the first thing the admissions committee will read. The first paragraph should be a catchy, attention-grabbing hook or story that grabs the reader’s attention and sets up the main point of your essay .

Check out this webinar for more examples of what makes a great introduction.

5. Use storytelling to write the body paragraphs.

Since the goal is to achieve depth rather than breadth (5,000 characters isn’t a lot!), focus on key experiences instead of discussing everything you’ve accomplished. Remember, you’ll have the Work & Activities section to share other relevant experiences.

Use the following five-step formula to elaborate on important experiences in the body paragraphs of your personal statement:

• Discuss why you pursued the experience.
• Mention how you felt during the experience.
• Describe what you accomplished and learned.
• Discuss how your experience affected you and the world around you.
• Describe how the experience influenced your decision to pursue medicine.

The best personal statements tell a story about who you are. “Show, don’t tell,” what you’ve experienced — immerse the reader in your narrative, and you’ll have a higher chance of being accepted to medical school.

6. Create an engaging conclusion.

Your goal is to make the person reading want to meet you and invite you to their school! Your conclusion should:

• Talk about your future plans.
• Define what medicine means to you.
• Reflect on your growth.
• Reiterate how you’d contribute to your school’s community and vision.

7. Use a spellchecker to proofread for basic errors.

Misusing “your” instead of “you’re” or misspelling a few important words can negatively impact how your personal statement is received. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation should be perfect on your personal statement.

Use Grammarly or a similar spellchecker to check for errors before completing your personal statement. You can also use an AI tool like ChatGPT for proofreading, although it’s more likely to make sweeping changes.

8. Edit your draft.

Editing your personal statement a few times over will benefit you in the long run. Give yourself time to write, edit, reread, and re-edit your personal statement before submitting it with your application.

You can use AI technology like ChatGPT for small edits or to help you add in information where you might feel stuck, but don’t rely too much on it.

9. Ask a few trusted people to read your draft.

Have at least one friend, family member, and at least one person who’s a medical professional review your draft. A  professor in your pre-med program would be a great person to review your draft.

Be willing to receive as much feedback as your trusted people are willing to give. Don’t get caught up in obsessing over one statement you really like if all three of your readers suggest cutting it.

If you’d like a professional eye on your personal statement, consider a personal statement editing service. Our editors are medical professionals, often who have reviewed personal statements and applications submitted to admissions committees.

We’d love to help you craft a personal statement that’s sure to stand out.

30 prompts to inspire your personal statement.

Here are 30 prompts to inspire your personal statement: 

• Describe a defining moment in your life that solidified your desire to pursue a career in medicine.
• Discuss a challenging situation you faced and how it shaped your perspective on healthcare.
• Reflect on a time when you made a meaningful impact on someone’s life through your actions or support.
• Explain your motivation for wanting to become a physician and how it has evolved over time.
• Describe a personal quality or skill that will contribute to your success as a medical professional.
• Discuss the importance of empathy and compassion in the medical profession and share a personal experience demonstrating these qualities.
• Reflect on a specific medical case or patient that inspired you and how it influenced your future goals.
• Share a story about an interaction with a mentor or role model who has inspired your path in medicine.
• Describe a time when you overcame adversity or faced a significant challenge in your journey to medical school.
• Explain how your background, culture, or upbringing has influenced your perspective on healthcare.
• Discuss a medical issue or topic you’re passionate about and why it’s important to you.
• Describe your experience working or volunteering in a healthcare setting and the lessons you’ve learned.
• Reflect on a time when you had to adapt or be resilient in a challenging situation.
• Discuss how your interest in research or innovation will contribute to your career as a physician.
• Share a personal experience that has shaped your understanding of the importance of teamwork in healthcare.
• Describe a leadership role you’ve held and how it has prepared you for a career in medicine.
• Discuss the impact of a specific medical discovery or advancement on your decision to pursue medicine.
• Reflect on your experience with a particular patient population or community and how it has influenced your perspective on healthcare.
• Share your thoughts on the role of social responsibility in the medical profession.
• Explain how your experiences with interdisciplinary collaboration have prepared you for a career in medicine.
• Describe a time when you advocated for a patient or their needs.
• Share your experience with a global health issue or project and how it has impacted your perspective on healthcare.
• Discuss your interest in a specific medical specialty and why it appeals to you.
• Reflect on a time when you encountered an ethical dilemma and how you resolved it.
• Describe an experience that demonstrates your commitment to lifelong learning and personal growth.
• Share a story about a time when you had to think critically and problem-solve in a healthcare setting.
• Discuss how your experiences with diverse populations have informed your approach to patient care.
• Describe an experience that highlights your ability to communicate effectively with others in a medical setting.
• Reflect on a time when you demonstrated your commitment to patient-centered care.
• Share your thoughts on the importance of balance and self-care in the medical profession and how you plan to maintain these practices throughout your career.

Avoid These Common Personal Statement Mistakes

Avoid these 5 common mistakes students make when writing their personal statements: 

• Clichés : “I just want to help people,” “from a young age,” “I’ve always wanted to,” and “for as long as I can remember,” are just some of the overused phrases in personal statements. Other clichés we’ve seen often include saying that you’ve wanted to be a doctor for your whole life, using overly dramatic patient anecdotes, or prideful-sounding stories about how you saved a life as a pre-med student. Eliminate clichés from your writing.
• Typos/grammatical errors: We covered this already, but the grammar in your statement should be flawless . It’s hard to catch your own typos, so use grammar checking tools like Grammarly and ask your readers to look for typographical errors or grammar problems, too.
• Name-dropping: At best, naming a prominent member of the medical community in your statement sounds braggadocious and will probably be brushed off. At worst, an adcom reader may think poorly of the person you mention and dismiss you based on the connection. If you do know a well-known and well-respected person in the medical field and worked closely with them, request a letter of recommendation instead.
• Restating your MCAT score or GPA : Every character in your personal statement counts (literally). Don’t restate information already found on your application. If your application essay is being read, an algorithm has already identified your prerequisite scores as being worthy of reviewing the rest of your application.
• Using extensive quotes from other people: This is your chance to show who you are. Quoting a philosopher or trusted advisor in these few precious characters takes away from the impact you can have. A single short quote might be okay if it’s highly relevant to the story you’re telling, but don’t go beyond that.

Should you use ChatGPT to help you write?

ChatGPT is a great AI tool to help you get your personal statement off the ground. However, since this is your personal statement, ChatGPT won’t be able to effectively write transitions or tie your personal statement together.

Only you can effectively convey what being a doctor means to you. Only you carry the experiences in your mind and heart that have compelled you to pursue this competitive profession. Don’t rely on artificial intelligence to fake those experiences — it will show, and not in a good way.

We’ve found that ChatGPT can help speed the processes of ideation , editing, and grammar-checking. If you’re not using it to emulate human experiences but just treating it as a helpful assistant, go for it! 

When should you start writing your personal statement?

Begin writing your personal statement early enough to have months of reflection and editing time before your application cycle begins. We recommend writing your personal statement as the first step when applying to medical school , starting in December or January before applications open.

As you progress, anticipate revising multiple versions of your draft. Spend time reflecting on your life experiences and aspirations.

Dr. Katzen, MedSchoolCoach Master Advisor and previous admissions committee member at GWU, recommends starting your personal statement in December/January if you plan to apply in May/June (you should!). 

This gives you plenty of time to have others review it or to get professional personal statement editing services. It also gives you time to write multiple drafts and be 100% satisfied with your final essay.

Read Next: A Complete Guide to the Residency Match Process

9 Personal Statement Examples That Led To Med School Acceptance

We’ve included some of our favorite medical school personal statement examples below. Each of these was written by a student who was accepted at one or more programs of their choice.

1. Embracing Diversity: Healing Through Cultural Connections

Student Accepted to Case Western SOM, Washington University SOM, University of Utah SOM, Northwestern University Feinberg SOM

With a flick and a flourish, the tongue depressor vanished, and from behind my ear suddenly appeared a coin. Growing up, my pediatrician often performed magic tricks, making going to the doctors’ feel like literal magic. I believed all healthcare facilities were equally mystifying, especially after experiencing a different type of magic in the organized chaos of the Emergency Department. Although it was no place for a six-year-old, childcare was often a challenge, and while my dad worked extra shifts in nursing school to provide for our family, I would find myself awed by the diligence and warmth of the healthcare providers.

Though I associated the hospital with feelings of comfort and care, it sometimes became a place of fear and uncertainty. One night, my two-year-old brother, Sean, began vomiting and coughing non-stop. My dad was deployed overseas, so my mother and I had no choice but to spend the night at the hospital, watching my brother slowly recover with the help of the healthcare providers. Little did I know, it would not be long before I was in the same place. Months later, I was hospitalized with pneumonia with pleural effusions, and as I struggled to breathe, I was terrified of having fluid sucked out of my chest. But each day physicians comforted me, asking how I was, taking time to reassure me that I was being taken care of, and explaining any questions related to my illness and treatment. Soon, I became excited to speak with the infectious disease doctor and residents, absorbing as much as I could to learn more about different illnesses.

In addition to conventional medical settings, I also came to view the magic of healing through other lenses. Growing up, Native American traditions were an important aspect of my life as my father had been actively involved with native spirituality, connecting back to his Algonquin heritage. We often attended Wi-wanyang-wa-c’i-pi ceremonies or Sun Dances, for healing through prayer and individuals making personal sacrifices for their community. Although I never sun danced myself, I spent hours in inipis, chewing on osha root, finding my own healing through songs. In addition to my father’s heritage, healing came from the curanderismo traditions of Peru, the home of my mother, who came from a long line of healers, which involved herbal remedies and ceremonies in the healing of the mind, body, energy and soul. I can still see my mother preparing mixtures of oils, herbs, and incense while performing healing rituals. The compassion and care she put into healing paralleled the Emergency Department healthcare providers.

Through the influence of these early life experiences, I decided to pursue a career in the health sciences. Shortly after starting college, I entered a difficult time in my life as I struggled with health and personal challenges. I suddenly felt weak and tired most days with aches all over my body. Soon, depression set in. I eventually visited a doctor, and through a series of tests, we discovered I had hypothyroidism. During this time, I also began dealing with an unprocessed childhood trauma. I decided to take time off school, and with thyroid replacement hormones and therapy, I slowly began to recover. But I still had ways to go, and due to financial challenges, I made the difficult decision to continue delaying my education and found work managing a donut shop. Unbeknownst to me, this experience would lead to significant personal growth by working with people from all walks of life and allowing me time for self-reflection. I found myself continuously reflecting on the experiences in the hospital that defined my childhood and the unmatched admiration I had for healthcare workers. With my renewed interest in medicine, I enrolled in classes to get my AEMT license to get more experience in the medical field.

As my health improved, I excelled in my classes, and after craving the connections of working with others, I became a medical assistant. In this position, I met “Marco,” a patient who came from Mexico for treatment. Though I spoke Spanish while growing up, I had little experience as a medical interpreter. However, I took the opportunity to speak with him to learn his story. Afterwards, he became more comfortable, and I helped walk him through the consultation process, interpreting the physician’s words and Marco’s questions. This moment showed me the power of connecting with others in their native language. As a result, I began volunteering at a homeless clinic to continue bridging the language barrier for patients and to help advocate for the Latinx community and those who struggle to find their voice.

My journey to become a doctor has been less direct than planned; however, my personal trials and tribulations have afforded me the opportunity to meet and work with incredible people who have been invaluable to my recovery and personal development. Most importantly, I have seen the value of compassionate and empathetic care. Though I have not recently witnessed any sleight of hand or vanishing acts, what healthcare providers do for patients can only be described as magic. I look forward to bringing my diverse background as a physician and expanding my abilities to help patients in their path to healing.

2. The Calling to Heal From the Battlefield

Student Accepted to Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Harvard Medical School, Yale SOM

I’ll never forget his screams of pain.

It was the first time I had heard a man cry for help, and it shook me to my core. It had been a long night of training in South Korea for me and my fellow Army Rangers. We were reaching the end, heavy with exhaustion, when my friend took the direct impact of an explosive to his leg. The shockwave momentarily rattled my sense of balance. Struggling to see in the dark, I switched on my headlamp. In that instant, all I could focus on was his face. His eyes darted back and forth, sweeping the surroundings for any semblance of help, but all I could do was stand there and watch as our medics treated him.

No amount of training prepared me to see a friend in pain. As I watched the helicopter fly him away, I couldn’t help but think— even though I’d gone through some of the best military training in the world, in that moment, I could do nothing for him. Fortunately, he is okay, but had there been no medic available, the situation could have ended with tragedy. That night, I realized that through a career in medicine, I could be more than just a bystander to suffering— I could be in the position to not only reduce unnecessary pain but to also help those affected by conflict and trauma be restored to the fullness of life.

Upon returning home from this deployment, I shifted my focus to developing my skills in trauma care. I completed various trainings on caring for casualties in a combat environment and preparing non-medic Rangers to provide self-aid or buddy-aid in the absence of a medical provider. In a final scenario-based training lane, I helped lead my team in the treatment and packaging of a trauma patient for evacuation, setting a record time in our company and earning a military medal. This achievement, however, was only the beginning. These trainings and my successes served as a foundation that I built upon to ensure I could provide life-saving care in combat situations.  I continued to hone this skillset over my next two combat deployments as a machine gunner to Afghanistan, where, I was prepared to use these critical abilities to decrease mortality on the battlefield. In medicine, like in the army, the actual practice of one’s craft may be life or death. Therefore, evolving both dependability and proficiency during training is imperative in preparation for that final test, both in war and in medicine.

After leaving the military, confronting injury and trauma continued to be a reality. A year after exiting the service, two Army Ranger leaders whom I knew were critically injured on a mission overseas. One was my former team leader, who was shot in the neck, and the other was caught in an explosion that later resulted in a triple amputation. The relentless efforts of doctors and nurses is the reason why both of these brave men are alive today. Recognizing that without the diligent care of these medical professionals, these men would not have survived, I became ever more dedicated to serving others.

While in college, this dedication pushed me to routinely visit the West Haven VA Hospital to provide a community of support for the older, disabled veterans there. I first began visiting this hospital for my own medical care but witnessing the suffering of the other veterans at the hospital spurred me to return repeatedly not as a patient, but as a friend to my fellow veterans.  As a veteran and student, seeing and hearing about the pain and loss of function experienced by many other veterans reminded me of the importance of advocacy in healthcare: to understand, to care for, and to fight for those who are unable to do so themselves.

I continued to see these effects of conflict while volunteering as a tutor to individuals from the Middle East who were affected by the very war I served in. Alaa lives in Syria and dreams of becoming a surgeon. Together, Alaa and I discussed chemistry, biology, and math. Despite his love of learning and dedication, the instability of his community, which was plagued by violence, often barred him from focusing on his studies and committing to a routine tutoring schedule. Although I’ll never intimately know the reality of growing up in a war-torn country, working with Alaa taught me to keep the bigger picture of healthcare in mind. It reminded me that a career as a physician would provide me with the capability to help those like Alaa who are affected by conflict.

When I reflect on medicine, I draw many parallels to my life in army special operations. The training is intense, the hours are long, and the structure is hierarchical. The mission, above all else, is to provide the best outcome for those around you. On my journey to a career in medicine, I plan to continue to add to what I’ve learned from my experiences so far: humility, empathy, dependability, communication, teamwork, and leading from the front. For over four years I lived by the Ranger Creed, and I plan to imbue the same ethos in serving as a physician— to keep myself mentally alert and morally straight, to shoulder more than my share of whatever task presents itself.  In crossing from the path of a warrior to that of a healer, I hope to continue a life of service to improve the human condition and reduce unnecessary suffering in the world one person at a time.

3. Community-based Health and Empathy: Serving Underserved Communities in Crisis

Student Accepted to Weill Cornell

My path to medicine was first influenced by early adolescent experiences trying to understand my place in society. Though I was not conscious of it at the time, I held a delicate balance between my identity as an Indian-American and an “American-American.”

In a single day, I could be shooting hoops and eating hotdogs at school while spending the evening playing Carrom and enjoying tandoori chicken at a family get-together. When our family moved from New York to California, I had the opportunity to attend a middle school with greater diversity, so I learned Spanish to salve the loss of moving away and assimilate into my new surroundings.

As I partook in related events and cuisine, I built an intermixed friend group and began to understand how culture influences our perception of those around us. While volunteering at senior centers in high school, I noticed a similar pattern to what I sometimes saw at school: seniors socializing in groups of shared ethnicity and culture. Moving from table to table, and therefore language to language, I also observed how each group shared different life experiences and perspectives on what constitutes health and wellness. Many seniors talked about barriers to receiving care or how their care differed from what they had envisioned. Listening to their stories on cultural experiences, healthcare disparities, and care expectations sparked my interest in becoming a physician and providing care for the whole community.

Intrigued by the science behind perception and health, I took electives during my undergraduate years to build a foundation in these domains. In particular, I was amazed by how computational approaches could help model the complexity of the human mind, so I pursued research at Cornell’s Laboratory of Rational Decision-Making. Our team used fMRI analysis to show how the framing of information affects its cognitive processing and perception. Thinking back to my discussions with seniors, I often wondered if more personalized health-related messaging could positively influence their opinions. Through shadowing, I had witnessed physicians engaging in honest and empathetic conversations to deliver medical information and manage patients’ expectations, but how did they navigate delicate conflicts where the patients’ perspectives diverged from their own?

My question was answered when I became a community representative for the Ethics Committee for On Lok PACE, an elderly care program. One memorable case was that of Mr. A.G, a blind 86-year-old man with radiation-induced frontal lobe injury who wanted to return home and cook despite his doctor’s expressed safety concerns. Estranged from family, Mr. A.G. relied on cooking to find fulfillment in his life. Recognizing the conflict between autonomy and beneficence, I joined the physicians in brainstorming and recommending ways he could cook while being supervised. I realized that the role of a physician was to mediate between the medical care plan and the patient’s wishes in order to make a decision that preserves their dignity. As we considered possibilities, the physicians’ genuine concern for the patient’s emotional well-being exemplified the compassion that I want to emulate as a future doctor. Our discussions emphasized the rigor of medicine—the challenge of ambiguity and the importance of working with an individual to serve their needs.

With COVID-19 ravaging our underserved communities, my desire to help others drove me towards community-based health as a contact tracer for my county’s Department of Public Health. My conversations uncovered dozens of heartbreaking stories that revealed how inequities in socioeconomic status and job security left poorer families facing significantly harsher quarantines than their wealthier counterparts. Moreover, many residents expressed fear or mistrust, such as a 7-person family who could not safely isolate in their 1 bedroom/1 bath apartment. I offered to arrange free hotel accommodations but was met with a guarded response from the father: “We’ll be fine. We can maintain the 6 feet.” While initially surprised, I recognized how my government affiliation could lead to a power dynamic that made the family feel uneasy. Thinking how to make myself more approachable, I employed motivational interviewing skills and even simple small talk to build rapport. When we returned to discussing the hotel, he trusted my intentions and accepted the offer. Our bond of mutual trust grew over two weeks of follow-ups, leaving me humbled yet gratified to see his family transition to a safer living situation. As a future physician, I realize I may encounter many first-time or wary patients; and I feel prepared to create a responsive environment that helps them feel comfortable about integrating into our health system.

Through my clinical and non-clinical experiences, I have witnessed the far-reaching impact of physicians, from building lasting connections with patients to being a rock of support during uncertain times. I cannot imagine a career without these dynamics—of improving the health and wellness of patients, families, and society and reducing healthcare disparities. While I know the path ahead is challenging, I am confident that I want to dedicate my life to this profession.

4. Creating a Judgment-Free Zone with The Power of Acceptance in Healthcare

Student Accepted to George Washington SOM and Health Sciences, Drexel University COM

Immigrating into a foreign country without speaking a word of the language is a terrifying task for anyone. My mentee at Computers4kids, Sahil, came to the United States at seventeen and had been struggling to integrate with society due to the language barrier. Although I was born in the United States, I can empathize with the struggle he encounters daily, since both my parents and many members of my family have dealt with the same issues. Often, these barriers exacerbate mundane issues the immigrant population faces as they have difficulty finding people who can understand and care for them. Since I am bilingual in Farsi, when Sahil approached me with his driving instructions manual written in Dari, I thought I could teach him the rules of the road with no issues. I asked him to read the first sentence, but he diverted his gaze and mumbled that he did not know how to read. As I realized he seemed embarrassed by his illiteracy, I placed my hand on his shoulder and assured him that he could learn. I increased my weekly hours at the site to spend an equal amount of time on the rules of the road and on phonetics and reading. Within a few months, he was more comfortable greeting others around the Computers4Kids site and participating in interactive projects. Upon reflection, I appreciate the importance of creating a judgment-free zone that encourages learning and reciprocal care. Once Sahil noticed that I saw him no differently after learning of his illiteracy, he was ready and willing to work on the basics of language and reading, instead of solely memorizing words.

I did not realize how pivotal a judgment-free zone in a medical environment is until I worked at the University of Virginia Emergency Department as a medical scribe. Although I had scribed at a smaller hospital before, I had always strived for a position at a high-volume healthcare center and level one trauma center. Close to the end of a long shift, I walked into the room of a patient with the chief complain of ‘Psychiatric Evaluation’.  A male patient with schizophrenia was hyperventilating and speaking through tears as he described seeing his deceased wife and daughter everywhere he looked. Between short breaths, he mentioned he was going to Florida to attack the person who “murdered his family”. The resident diffused the situation by acknowledging the patient’s feelings and suggesting that he stayed for psychiatric help instead of flying to Florida. Eventually, the patient agreed and was admitted. Seeing the resident create this judgment-free environment was eye opening, as the previously distressed patient was now accepting counseling. The powerful influence of acceptance can lead to valuable insights about patients’ lives, potentially increasing the range of care one can administer.

I decided to transition to primary care in the most recent fall season because I would be able to build a more personal relationship with families in my community. I began working at Union Mill Pediatrics and was finally able to serve the community I grew I up in. I was given the responsibility of acting as the primary contact for a few families with children who have autism. Dr. Maura and I perused the plan of care for one of these children, Ayaan, determined by the Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), to ensure that set therapeutic goals were reasonable and generalizable. When I asked Salwa, Ayaan’s mother, about some of the goals set by her BCBA and the school, she mentioned they would repeat exercises he already knew how to complete. I informed Salwa of her right as a patient to bring up her concerns with Ayaan’s teachers. I was overjoyed when she updated me that she instructed Ayaan’s teacher to continue putting his hearing aid in despite Ayaan’s constant cries. Salwa explained that the tantrums would curb after two days, which proved to be true. Similarly to how I encourages Salwa to advocate for her son, I will advocate for my patients and help them develop confidence to speak about their needs. After finding her voice as the patient’s guardian, Salwa gained the confidence to ask about a support group as she faces difficulties raising Ayaan alone. After some research, I found a few active groups to send her. By proving to Salwa I had her best interests in heart, she opened up to me about her mental health issues, which enabled me to extend the appropriate resources her way.

I have witnessed the potential that physicians have at work to forever change a family’s quality of life by being open-minded and remaining judgment-free. As a physician, I will aim to provide for my community through attentive healthcare and community service. I will advocate for my patients with cultural, language or socioeconomic barriers to healthcare. Building a trusting relationship with my future patients can result in a more productive office visit and enhance my ability to administer holistic care. My goal is for patients to leave their visit with not only a reasonable plan of care, but also a greater appreciation of their health and their rights as patients.

5. The Intersection of Medicine and Creativity

Student Accepted to Hackensack Meridian SOM, Nova Southeastern CoOM/KPCOM

Growing up, I inherited a deep admiration for medicine. From my grandfather’s chilling stories as a forensic psychiatrist assessing mental fitness, to my father’s heroic accounts as a pediatric dentist operating on toddlers with severe tooth decay, I was enamored with the honor of healing. These exposures nurtured my natural curiosity and innate aptitude for the sciences. Yet my mother, who had studied dance and theatre, instilled in me a fervent love of the arts and creative practice. Following in her footsteps, I took up multiple musical instruments, attended a high school for the arts, and earned a degree in art history coupled with a dance minor. Still, my dream was to pursue medicine, and though it seems counterintuitive, my love of art has only facilitated my enduring love of science, reinforcing why pursuing a career as a holistic, health-centered physician is my deepest aspiration.

My affinity for the health sciences began in the dance studio, where I devoted many hours of my adolescence. Dance, insidious in its promotion of grotesque health practices, demanded that I limit my calories to 1,200 a day counting everything from ibuprofen to a stick of gum, and to dance through a severe hamstring tear. My conceptions of health were severely warped until college dance came to my rescue. These new progressive teachers uplifted dancers of all physical and cognitive abilities, distributed scientific journals on effective warm-up techniques, and abandoned conventional dance norms. I was disturbed by all the unlearning I had to do, but eager to reacquaint myself with my body and disseminate new knowledge. Thus, I was honored when dance again presented an opportunity in health, as I was hired to teach dance at my childhood summer camp. Here, I could separate my curriculum from unreasonable physical expectations and interpersonal competition. I found a fierce sense of joy and fulfillment from being an advocate for physical and emotional health, and I knew I wanted to continue helping others heal while also deconstructing my own negative health experiences.

These formative experiences in the arts profoundly supported my intellectual development, allowing me to thrive in science-based settings and ultimately prompting me to seek out colleges with robust research programs. At the University of Michigan, I had the privilege of participating in a campus research lab, undoubtedly resulting in my most valuable college experience. The world of scientific inquiry can be intimidating, but after a year of reading dozens of papers and learning novice lab protocols, I began my own independent investigation of zebrafish retinas. My goal was to uncover the mechanisms of retinal regeneration in fish, thus addressing vision loss. The excitement I felt in utilizing challenging lab techniques, working with animals, witnessing the culmination of my efforts through image analysis, and being a part of such life-altering research was unmatched. What once seemed like magic was now tangible; I was an artist helping craft the solutions to science’s unanswered questions. In the context of my multidisciplinary interests, my research reinforced the creative, humanitarian side of science, and that science was where I felt compelled to take action and build a career.

Art continued to deepen my passion for and understanding of medicine. The revolutionary approaches of my dance teachers modeled the importance of critique as it pertains to health. This was not a new concept to me; my high school art teachers had urged us to challenge institutional weaknesses. It was not until college, however, that I realized how this line of thinking intersects with medicine. Studying art history, I repeatedly encountered artists whose work tackled issues in health. Keith Haring confronted the AIDS crisis when society had turned on the gay population, and Marc Quinn confronted the disease of addiction in his self-portrait sculptures, made entirely of his own frozen blood. Art, I learned, is so often a response to disease, be it physical, mental, or sociological. These artists had been champions of health in light of its stigmas and politics; art thus fostered new intentions, instilling within me an ardent goal of social activism through medicine.

Art has contributed to my journey, and while it is not my ultimate goal, I hope to incorporate my artistically based insights into my work in science and medicine as a health and social justice advocate. I am driven to continue exploring these intersections, having compiled an entire portfolio on the connection between dance and science, researched disability in the arts, and pursued my personal interest in LGBTQ+ health advocacy by connecting with and shadowing a variety of gender care physicians. My intention to pursue medicine is personal, fulfilling, and pressing, and I take seriously the responsibility I will have as a physician to be a mogul for change in areas of healthcare that compromise the human experience. Further, my natural inclination towards science and involvement in academic research has instilled in me the confidence and skills necessary to be an effective medical practitioner. With this balanced mindset, I know I will contribute to a more ethical and well-rounded approach to healthcare.

6. Innovation in Medicine and a Quest for Discovery

Student Accepted to Johns Hopkins SOM, Washington University SOM, Hofstra Zucker SOM

As a notoriously picky nine-year-old with a penchant for grilled cheese, I was perplexed when I learned that my younger sister, Rachel, had been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I felt a sting of betrayal knowing my comfort food was the culprit for Rachel’s terrible stomach aches. Yearning to understand how my favorite food was poisoning my favorite person, I developed an insatiable desire to discover the “why” behind Celiac. As Rachel’s doctor explained her disease, I was both fascinated that a simple protein could cause so much damage and inspired by the doctor’s compassion. He described every detail in a way Rachel would understand, addressed her every concern, and held her hand when she was scared. I wanted to be just like Rachel’s doctor so that I too could use science to decipher medical mysteries while also reassuring my patients that I would be their advocate and help them heal.

My interest in medicine drove me to learn more about what it meant to be a doctor. As a freshman in high school, I arranged a shadow day with Dr. M, a cardiologist. He taught me about echoes, showed me a pacemaker implantation, and in the midst of a cardioversion, even beckoned me over to press the button that discharged the defibrillator. I could not contain my excitement recounting how much I had learned during my first day in a clinical setting. From there, my curiosity skyrocketed and I embarked on a relentless pursuit to explore the spectrum of the medical field. I was moved by the supportive atmosphere of the NICU, struck by the precision involved in ophthalmology, absorbed by the puzzle-like reconstruction of Mohs surgery, and awed by the agility of cardiothoracic surgery. Between high school and college, I shadowed over a dozen physicians, cementing my interest and furthering my passion for a future medical career.

My college classes allowed me to immerse myself further in the study of the human body. Following my fascination with cancer, I secured an internship working on a melanoma immunotherapy clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health. I savored the stimulation, grasping new experimental techniques and developing assays; but my work took on even greater meaning when I learned that my grandfather had been enrolled in an early-stage immunotherapy trial himself while battling mucosal melanoma. Although immunotherapy did not heal my grandfather, I was immensely proud to be advancing the science years later. Through long nights and evolving experiments, I gave the trial its final push through an FDA approval checkpoint; ultimately, my contributions will help more grandparents go into remission. The most fulfilling moments came every Monday when I accompanied the leading physician scientists on their rounds. As I met patients, listened to their stories, and celebrated their improvements, the pulsating blister on my thumbpad from endless pipetting became akin to a medal of honor. Reflecting on these encounters, I wanted to continue driving scientific innovation, but I also wanted a more active and personal impact in the patient’s experience.

My desire to connect with patients brought me to Alliance Medical Ministry, a clinic serving uninsured, disadvantaged communities in North Carolina. I stepped up to lead efforts to organize a community COVID-19 vaccination clinic, communicating personally with every eligible patient and arranging vaccine appointments for over a thousand people across the hardest hit areas of Raleigh. The experience became even more rewarding when I trained to administer vaccines, becoming a stable, anchoring presence from the beginning to the end of the process. One memorable patient, “Amy,” had not seen a doctor in years because of the associated financial burden. When she came to the clinic suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis, she was not even aware of her diabetes diagnosis. While I waited with her for transportation to the ER, she expressed her fears about contracting COVID at the hospital. However, she emphatically dismissed my suggestion about receiving a vaccine. I listened intently to all her concerns. Not only was she worried about the vaccine infecting her with the virus, but also her history of being denied healthcare due to her socioeconomic status had instilled fears that she would not be taken care of should she have an adverse reaction. I took her hand in mine and reassured her of the clinic’s mission to provide care regardless of ability to pay. I further explained everything I knew about how the vaccine worked, its safety and efficacy, and how my body reacted when I received my own injection. I could not help but beam behind my N95 when days later, Amy returned, sat in my chair and confidently rolled up her sleeve for me to give her the protective shot.

I have grown by exploring the multifaceted world of medicine through shadowing, pioneering research to advance patient care at the NIH, and cultivating trusting relationships with patients from the vaccine clinic. As a doctor, my desire to be an innovative thinker and problem solver will fuel my unrelenting quest for discovery throughout a lifetime of learning. Most importantly, I aspire to use my medical knowledge to improve lives and establish meaningful patient partnerships, just as Rachel’s doctor did with her.

7. Transforming Pain into Purpose: Inspiring Change in the Field of Medicine

Student Accepted to UCSF SOM, Harvard Medical School

Countless visits to specialists in hope of relief left me with a slew of inconclusive test results and uncertain diagnoses. “We cannot do anything else for you.” After twelve months of waging a war against my burning back, aching neck and tingling limbs, hearing these words at first felt like a death sentence, but I continued to advocate for myself with medical professionals. A year of combatting pain and dismissal led me to a group of compassionate and innovative physicians at the Stanford Pain Management Center (SPMC). Working alongside a diverse team including pain management specialists and my PCP, I began the long, non-linear process of uncovering the girl that had been buried in the devastating rubble of her body’s pain. From struggling with day-to-day activities like washing my hair and sitting in class to thriving as an avid weightlifter and zealous student over the span of a year, I realized I am passionate about preventing, managing and eliminating chronic illnesses through patient-centered incremental care and medical innovation.

A few days after my pain started, I was relieved to hear that I had most likely just strained some muscles, but after an empty bottle of muscle relaxers, the stings and aches had only intensified. I went on to see 15 specialists throughout California, including neurologists, physiatrists, and rheumatologists. Neurological exams. MRIs. Blood tests. All inconclusive. Time and time again, specialists dismissed my experience due to ambiguous test results and limited time. I spent months trying to convince doctors that I was losing my body; they thought I was losing my mind. Despite these letdowns, I did not stop fighting to regain control of my life. Armed with my medical records and a detailed journal of my symptoms, I continued scheduling appointments with the intention of finding a doctor who would dig deeper in the face of the unknown. Between visits, I researched my symptoms and searched for others with similar experiences. One story on Stanford Medicine’s blog, “Young Woman Overcomes Multiple Misdiagnoses and Gets Her Life Back”, particularly stood out to me and was the catalyst that led me to the SPMC. After bouncing from doctor to doctor, I had finally found a team of physicians who would take the profound toll of my pain on my physical and mental well-being seriously.

Throughout my year-long journey with my care team at the SPMC, I showed up for myself even when it felt like I would lose the war against my body. I confronted daily challenges with fortitude. When lifting my arms to tie my hair into a ponytail felt agonizing, YouTube tutorials trained me to become a braiding expert. Instead of lying in bed all day when my medication to relieve nerve pain left me struggling to stay awake, I explored innovative alternative therapies with my physicians; after I was fed up with the frustration of not knowing the source of my symptoms, I became a research subject in a clinical trial aimed at identifying and characterizing pain generators in patients suffering from “mysterious” chronic pain. At times, it felt like my efforts were only resulting in lost time. However, seeing how patient my care team was with me, offering long-term coordinated support and continually steering me towards a pain-free future, motivated me to grow stronger with every step of the process. Success was not  an immediate victory, but rather a long journey of incremental steps that produced steady, life-saving progress over time. My journey brought me relief as well as clarity with regard to  how I will care for my future patients. I will advocate for them even when complex conditions, inconclusive results and stereotypes discourage them from seeking continued care; work with them to continually adapt and improve an individualized plan tailored to their needs and goals, and engage in pioneering research and medical innovations that can directly benefit them.

Reflecting on the support system that enabled me to overcome the challenges of rehabilitation, I was inspired to help others navigate life with chronic pain in a more equitable and accessible way. Not everyone has the means to work indefinitely with a comprehensive care team, but most do have a smartphone. As a result, I partnered with a team of physicians and physical therapists at the University of California San Francisco to develop a free mobile application that guides individuals dealing with chronic pain through recovery. Based on my own journey, I was able to design the app with an understanding of the mental and physical toll that pain, fear, and loss of motivation take on patients struggling with chronic pain. Having features like an exercise bank with a real-time form checker and an AI-based chatbot to motivate users, address their concerns and connect them to specific health care resources, our application helped 65 of the 100 pilot users experience a significant reduction in pain and improvement in mental health in three months.

My journey has fostered my passion for patient-centered incremental medicine and medical innovation. From barely living to thriving, I have become a trailblazing warrior with the perseverance and resilience needed to pursue these passions and help both the patients I engage with and those around the world.

8. Overcoming Bias, Stigma, and Disparities in Medicine

Student Accepted to University of Florida COM

Growing up as a Black woman, my family’s experiences with racial bias in medicine were central to my perception of doctors. From my grandmother’s forced electric shock therapy in the Jim Crow South that resulted in severe brain damage, to my father’s ignored appendicitis that led to a near-death infection after rupturing, every trip to the doctor came with apprehension. Will these strange men with sharp tools heal me or hurt me? This question repeated in my head as I prepared to undergo my first surgery to remove suspiciously inflamed lymph nodes at age 11. I woke up groggy from anesthesia with a negative cancer diagnosis but a blistering third degree burn. The surgeon had successfully removed the malignant masses but had left the cauterizing iron resting on my neck in the process. Today when I look in the mirror and see the scar, I am reminded of the troubling reality that myths such as black people having thicker skin and less sensitive nerve endings are still pervasive in the medical field. By challenging the systemic disparities in medicine that disadvantage minority populations, I vow to my inner child that I will be a different kind of doctor, a doctor who values the patient as much as the procedure.

My experiences with a variety of communities, minority and majority, stem from growing up in a military household that came with frequent relocations. I was exposed to a wide range of communities from an early age—rural Oregon to tropical Hawaii, industrious Japan to politicized D.C, sunny San Diego and finally to radical Berkeley where I  began my pre-medical education. I chose to view medicine from an anthropological lens while at Cal and supplemented my coursework with community service.  As co-coordinator of UC Berkeley’s chapter of Peer Health Exchange, my 9th grade students were, at first,  mistrusting –even with my Angela Davis-esque afro, I was clearly not from Oakland and not quite old enough to be lecturing them. But it was the Good Samaritan Law lecture, during which students learned they would not face police penalty for calling 911 if a friend was in trouble, that I finally gained their trust. One student shared, “I always worried that I wouldn’t be able to call for help because I’m undocumented.”  Later as a health advocate at UCSF, I encountered the same sentiment from families in the pediatric clinic who worried that accessing healthcare for a sick child might put their immigration or legal status at risk. I learned that to get to the root of barriers to access, trust is invaluable. Navigating marginalized spaces with cultural competency is an asset that I pride myself in.

I carried this foundation into my research and clinical work on HIV, a disease that disproportionately affects Black and Brown communities and is often left untreated by the stigmas surrounding medicine for these communities. As an HIV PreP Navigator at the Oasis clinic, I was on rotation when a thirteen-year-old girl was referred to the clinic after testing positive for HIV. We analyzed her T cell count and viral load, and discovered she fit the AIDs criteria.   In the following weeks, we worked on medication adherence, and as the girl’s CD4 count rose, so did her spirits and mine. Medicine is more than just a diagnosis and prescription—it is active compassionate treatment. It is holding steady when the entire ground seems to shake with the magnitude of an illness. It is being able to look a patient in the eye and truly see them despite the myriad of differences.

The disparities and differences in patient circumstances has been emphasized by the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognizing this disproportionate effect of the virus on minority communities, I worked at a COVID-19 testing facility in one of the most underserved and impoverished communities in the Los Angeles’ area. Assuring patients of the safety of Covid testing measures was a big part of the job. “Have you done it?” They would ask. “What about Tuskegee?”  Being Black, I felt the burden of responsibility that came with these questions. How could I have such faith in medicine knowing the traumatic past? My response was simple, “I believe in the science. I can explain PCR testing to you if you like.” By eradicating some of the mystery surrounding these lab techniques, people felt more comfortable.  The opportunity to serve as a trusted community leader by directly interacting with patients and working on a team with doctors, EMTs, and nurses amid an international crisis reaffirmed my journey into medicine.

Zora Neale Hurston once wrote, “mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to ‘jump at de sun.’ We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground.” As an aspiring physician, these words have served as a motivating mantra. To “get off the ground” for me means to become the first medical doctor in a lineage of sharecroppers and farmers. Medicine has been my “sun” for as long as I can remember; its promise to bring light has kept me jumping at every opportunity. Like my grandmother, my father, and so many others, I have experienced disparity in medicine. The scars that mar our bodies are my constant reminder that there is much work to be done. I see medicine as the ability to directly enact that change, one patient at a time.

9. Navigating Personal Struggles to Become a Compassionate Physician

Student Accepted to Touro CoOM, Nova Southeastern CoOM/KPCOM

I fight the heavy sleepiness that comes over me, but before I know it, I am out like a light. Forty-five minutes later, I wake up with a sore throat, watery eyes, and an intensely cold, painful feeling plaguing my entire right leg. Earlier, my parents and I arrived at the Beckman Laser Institute for another treatment of my port-wine stain birthmark. Despite my pleas to not undergo these procedures, my parents still took me twice a year. As I was rolled into the cold, sterile operating room on a gurney, I felt like I was experiencing everything from outside of myself. Despite my doctor’s and nurses’ best efforts to comfort me, I felt my heart racing. Feelings of apprehension and fear of the unknown flooded my senses at the sight of beeping machines and tubes that seemed to go everywhere. As the anesthesiologist began to administer the “sleepy juice,” I felt sad, realizing that my birthmark was a permanent resident on my leg and that I would have to receive this treatment for the rest of my life.

As an adult, I am grateful my parents continued to take me to the laser institute. Starting treatment so early aided in the lightening of my birthmark, which did wonders to improve my self-confidence. However, I suffered daily, feeling like I constantly had to hide something about myself. I kept my secret from everyone except my parents. Despite there being several medical doctors in my family, I knew that any sign of illness or disease would be held against me socially amongst other Egyptians. My secrecy was made even more difficult by the advice of my doctor to avoid certain physical activities, as they could worsen the underlying pathology of the veins in my legs. On his advice, I only wore long pants and would not run with other children during recess and gym class. This all added to the isolation I felt growing up, not knowing anyone with a similar condition to mine. Even as a child, no amount of explaining or encouragement could make me understand the benefit of those painful laser treatments.

What eventually changed my perspective was the team of compassionate doctors and nurses who have been caring for me since I began this journey. I was particularly touched when one of my doctors shared with me that she had also undergone a procedure that she would be performing on me. In that moment, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Not only was she a specialist in the field, but her empathy for what I would soon go through became a source of instant comfort and ease for me. I knew that what she said was heartfelt, and not simply an attempt to convince me to undergo a procedure. I realized then that one of the reasons I had felt so afraid was because I had been alone in what I was going through.

A few years later, I attended a conference held by the Vascular Birthmark Foundation, where a variety of specialists convened to discuss port-wine stain birthmarks and other related conditions. Once we arrived at the hotel where the conference would take place, I met a woman who had a facial port-wine stain birthmark. As we began sharing stories about our experiences with our condition, we connected over how difficult it had been to receive treatment. We both knew what it felt like to be told that the birthmark was simply a cosmetic issue, and that any form of treatment we received would have no corrective purpose, if it was even considered treatment in the first place. There was a certain sense of freedom that I felt in finally being able to talk about my illness with someone I could trust to understand. Thinking back to the doctor who connected with me over a procedure she had also experienced as a patient, I felt truly called in that moment to pursue my goal of becoming a vascular physician. My goal would be to become a source of comfort and familiarity for patients who struggle as I have, to give them the same relief that I experienced from finally being understood.

Despite the pains I went through, I now realize that the experiences I have had as a patient can help me better understand what it means to be a physician. By being an excellent listener and openly sharing my experiences with receiving treatment, I can foster an honest and safe physician-patient relationship. I believe this approach will not only comfort my patients, but also help them make informed decisions about their treatment. My commitment to this approach has also led me to choose a DO path for my medical career. Having researched the holistic treatment approach that a DO delivers, I realized that being treated by a DO would have done wonders for my self-confidence and overall health as a young patient. The aspects of my port wine stain that were always left untreated were the emotional and social side effects of my condition. As a DO in the dermatology or interventional radiology specialty, I hope to gain the tools to provide empathetic and comprehensive care to my patients that reassures them that they are not alone in their journey to better health.

Want to read a few more great samples? We also broke down the things that make these 3 personal statements excellent and compelling.

Other Resources For Personal Statement Writing

Do you want to learn even more about personal statements? Dive into these great resources!

FREE MEDICAL SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENT WEBINARS

Preparing Your Personal Statement For Medical Programs : Hosted by MedSchoolCoach Director of Writing & College Advising, Jennifer Speegle.

Creating the First Draft of Your Medical School Personal Statement : Hosted by MedSchoolCoach advising and writing advisors, Ziggy Yoediono MD and James Fleming.

Where to Begin When Writing Your Personal Statement : Hosted by MedSchoolCoach Associate Director of Writing and College Advising, Jennifer Speegle, Associate Director of Advising, Ziggy Yoediono MD, and Writing Advisor, Carrie Coaplen Ph. D.

The Medical School Personal Statement – What Makes a Great Intro and Why It’s Important : Hosted by Director of Advising, Dr. Renee Marinelli, MD, Master Advisor, Dr. Ziggy Yoediono, MD, and Founder of MedSchoolCoach, Dr. Sahil Mehta, MD.

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Episode 2 – The Personal Statement

Episode 42 – Writing Your Personal Statement

Episode 76 – How to Tackle the Medical School Personal Statement

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Studying at Sheffield Medical School

The University of Sheffield is home to Sheffield Medical School, offering both standard 5-year and accelerated 4-year medical degrees. The course is based on a patient-centred approach, designed around common and important clinical conditions. It relates clinical medicine to the underlying medical sciences. Students have the opportunity to develop your clinical competencies from the very start with clinical teaching on wards in hospitals, clinics (both in general practice and in hospitals), lectures, seminars, tutorials, small group work, dissection and personal development supported by experienced teachers and personal academic tutors.

Table of Contents

Sheffield place a heavy emphasis on UCAT score during the selection process. Applicants meeting the minimum entry requirements with a good UCAT score are likely to receive an interview and make ideal applicants.

• Integrated Course
• Optional Intercalation

Sheffield Medical School is a medical school located in Sheffield, England, which offers undergraduate and postgraduate medical education programs.

To be eligible for undergraduate medical degree programs at Sheffield Medical School, applicants must have a minimum of AAA at A-level (or equivalent), including chemistry and biology. Applicants are also required to take the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) or the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT), and to provide references and a personal statement.

Sheffield Medical School offers a five-year Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) program.

Sheffield Medical School offers a variety of postgraduate medical education programs, including Master of Science (MSc) degrees in areas such as medical education and clinical education, as well as postgraduate diplomas and certificates in various medical specialties.

The curriculum for undergraduate medical degree programs at Sheffield Medical School is designed to be comprehensive and student-centered, with an emphasis on hands-on learning and clinical experience. The program covers all aspects of medical education, including basic science, clinical skills, and patient care.

Graduates of Sheffield Medical School are well-prepared for a variety of career opportunities in medicine, including roles in research, clinical practice, and academic medicine. Many graduates go on to complete postgraduate training in a specialized area of medicine, while others pursue careers in public health, health policy, or healthcare management.

Admission to the University of Sheffield is competitive, but it is difficult to provide a definitive answer to this question as admission requirements and acceptance rates can vary from year to year and depend on the program of study. However, generally, the University of Sheffield is considered a highly selective university in the UK. The admission process considers various factors such as academic achievements, personal statement, references, and performance at the interview stage (if applicable). Meeting the minimum entry requirements and having a strong application is important to increase your chances of being accepted. It is recommended that prospective students research the admission requirements carefully and apply with a strong application to increase their chances of being accepted.

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Luna medic mind tutor 27 september 2021.

I recently sat my ucat exam a few days ago and I got a score of 2740 Band 1 (VR~600, DM~680, QR~710, AR~750) I was wondering whether this is too risky with my ucat score to apply to Sheffield?

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Life of a Medic

Sharing my journey through medical school + dropping nuggets of advice along the way…

What’s it Really Like To Study Medicine at Sheffield Medical School?

Welcome to the 7th week of the Virtual Medicine Open Day : giving you an insight into each of the UK medical schools and the opportunity to ask current medical students about the realities of studying there!

This post is written by Charlotte, a 5 th  year medical student at the University of Sheffield.

The past 4 years studying in Sheffield have been incredible. After receiving 3 offers for Medicine, Sheffield was always my top choice and it hasn’t let me down. Sheffield Medical School is probably one of the most friendly and kindest Medical Schools in the country. With so much to do in the Medical School alongside the Students Union (best SU in the country) and its proximity to the Peak District the opportunities are endless. Hopefully this post gives you an insight into what life at Sheffield is like…

• An Overview of Teaching Methods
• Typical Timetable of a 1st year Medical Student at Sheffield

The Non-Medical Stuff

3 top tips for applying to sheffield, an overview of how we are taught.

Sheffield uses an Integrated teaching model. What that means is that we have a range of lectures for the whole year group and small group teaching (10 people). The small group teaching is used for Integrated Learning Activities (ILAs) these are sessions where you come together as a group to discuss a Clinical Case in relation to what you’re learning in lectures at time. 

Unique to Sheffield clinical exposure begins in your first year. This exists as Early Years GP (EYGP) sessions. Here a group of 6 of you go to a local GP surgery and get taught about how the stuff you learnt in lectures applies to clinical practice. In these sessions you also get the chance to speak to patients with the Body System you are focusing on at the time. For example, if you are studying the Respiratory system one week you may talk to a patient with asthma and the next session you may talk to a patient with COPD. 

In your first year you are also taught clinical skills in small groups (up to 20 people). The type of clinical skills you learn are how to take vital signs such as: taking Manual Blood Pressure. These are super fun and definitely a highlight of the timetable. 

Like previously said the teaching model is integrated. This means that in first year you look at the anatomy, physiology and histology of the ‘normal’ body and focus on all of the main body systems. We do anatomy, physiology and histology for each system at one time. For example, if you were on your cardiology module you would have lectures and ILAs based on the physiology and histology and your anatomy sessions would be focused on the Cardiovascular System. 

In Sheffield we are taught anatomy via full body dissection. This means you and a group of 9 others work with the same cadaver through the year. Learning the anatomy of each body system on your cadaver. Each group of students has their own facilitator so you’re not left alone.

A Typical Timetable of a 1st Year Medic

Here is an example of a typical week for a 1 st  yr medical student. Please note as clinical skills tutorials generally happen once a month, I haven’t included them in this timetable. On these days you generally lose your Thursday afternoon slot of lectures.

Sheffield is such an amazing city to study in. It’s got the perfect balance of being a city and only a 15 minute drive away from the Peak District National Park! We’re quite a big university so campus always has a great exciting buzz to it with lots going on. Our Student’s Union is the best in the country and we have a society for anything you can imagine: Quidditch, Tea, Mindcraft? The options are endless. Sheffield’s sport facilities are only a 15 minute walk away from campus which is great too! The Students Union also has it’s own Night Club in the basement which basically all students go to! Especially on a Saturday night to go to Poptarts (give it a google!). 

The main accommodation sites Ranmoor and Endcliffe, are only a 15 minute walk away from the Medical School and probably a 40 minute walk from the town centre. If walking isn’t your thing- don’t worry! We have lots of regular buses. And with a student pass you can get a single bus fare anywhere in Sheffield for £1!

Sheffield is such a friendly city, so you’ll feel welcome wherever you are in the city! The University is also incredibly friendly. We have our own Counselling Service; University ran GP (so you don’t have to worry about finding one) and a great Disability and Dyslexia Support Service. 

Pros of Studying at Sheffield

• The atmosphere: I know I’ve mentioned this so many times already. But it is by far the most friendly and welcoming university I’ve been too. The University has so many systems in place to support students too no matter what happens. 

• The Medical School: the early clinical exposure and the ability to do full body dissection are amazing opportunities that can’t be missed. 

• The importance the university puts on having a life outside of your degree: compared to some universities that only promote studying. Our university promotes having hobbies outside of our course, to keep us well rounded and ultimately happier. Because of this they’ve invested so much money in creating opportunities and providing students with grants/bursaries and subsidising society events.

• The location: Sheffield is in a great location in the country. It’s easy to get to and from many cities and places in the country. This makes it perfect for visiting friends at other unis, going home for the weekend or going for day trip places! Plus, we have loads of really cool places to eat in the city with multiple food halls, vegan restaurants and a monthly Peddler’s Night Market. If shopping is more your thing, we also have Meadowhall! Which is only a short trip on the tram. 

Cons of Studying at Sheffield

• I would say one of the biggest negatives for me is that we only have end of year exams . By that I mean in first year you only get assessed at the end of the year with 3 exams. Thus, there’s a lot of pressure to do well on these 3. Conversely, a lot of my friends like this as an assessment method as it stops you having loads of exams throughout the year. 

• Every year after completing your exams you get a ranking. This tells you the place you’ve come in the year compared to your peers. I personally found this a bit stressful to begin with. But you get used to it!

• Compared to other medical schools we don’t have as long holidays. Have a look at the website for exact numbers. But in 4 th  year I only had 5 weeks off the entire year.

1. Make sure you know the course that Sheffield offers really well. You could easily be asked questions about what are you looking forward to on the course, how does it compare to other medical school courses or even what are you apprehensive about?

2. Acknowledge that Medicine isn’t your whole life. There’s a big emphasis at Sheffield on having a work life balance and having interests outside of medicine. So have a few examples of hobbies you like or ones you want to try. 

3. Have a good idea about Sheffield University and Sheffield as a city in general! Not only is this good for you as it makes you realise if you really want to study here. But it shows that you’ve really thought about your application and that you really want to come to Sheffield! 

Thank you Charlotte for such an interesting and detailed insight into Sheffield! Find out more about her and feel free to get in touch with her on Instagram:

Your Turn To Ask Any Questions!

Thank you for submitting your questions, they’ve now been answered by a current student – click below to read the answers!

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Posted by: Life of a Medic

4 replies on “ what’s it really like to study medicine at sheffield medical school ”.

Hi, I’ve fixed this for you and removed you from the list manually

• Pingback: Welcome To The Virtual Medicine Open Day! – Life of a Medic

Please can you clarify the first year timetable. In the FAQ you suggest lectures are all in the mornings. On the “whats it really like” page you suggest lectures are morning and afternoon?

Hi, I’d suggest getting in touch with the student whose social media is linked on this page as she studies at Sheffield and will be able to answer your questions

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• Postgraduate study
• Postgraduate taught courses

Speech and Language Therapy

Explore this course:.

Apply now for 2025 entry or  register your interest to hear about postgraduate study and events at the University of Sheffield.

School of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health

Course description

This accredited course qualifies you to practise as a speech and language therapist in a range of settings, including schools, hospitals, care homes, nurseries and clinics. 

You will study a wide variety of difficulties that adults and children can have with communicating and/or eating, drinking and swallowing. Topics range from anatomy and physiology, and their relationship with speech and language pathology, to the psychological and sociological factors that can affect communication.

Throughout the course, you’ll learn how to assess an individual’s communication or eating, drinking and swallowing difficulty, identify suitable interventions and manage their progress. You’ll work closely with service users, family members, carers and related professionals to support the people you are working with. You will also complete pre-registration eating, drinking and swallowing competencies .

This training will be put into practice and developed through a series of clinical placements, both within the University of Sheffield’s in-house speech and language therapy clinic and in a variety of health and education settings.

The course is led by a supportive team of clinical and research specialists, including speech and language therapists, psychologists, audiologists, linguists, information technologists, and medical practitioners. The University is a world-leading centre of research, and our teams will embed the latest research into your teaching to enable you to make evidence-based decisions in future practice. 

Why Sheffield?

• Varied, clinical placements - There will be plenty of opportunities to put your knowledge into practice on a diverse range of placements, including schools, clinics and hospitals.
• Get hands-on in our specialist clinic - You’ll build up your practical skills and experience in our specialist speech and language therapy clinic, working with people towards their communication goals.
• £5,000+ annual NHS training grant - Annual NHS grants are available for all eligible UK home students to help you with your studies, as well as funding to cover the cost of placements.

Accreditation

This course is approved by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and the Health and Care Professions Council.

An open day gives you the best opportunity to hear first-hand from our current students and staff about our courses.

You may also be able to pre-book a department/school visit as part of a campus tour. Open days and campus tours

2 years full-time (five days a week)

3 years part-time (three days a week)

Part-time study days

Study days for part-time students vary by semester. The standard pattern is given below. There may be circumstances during the course where study days differ from this, but we will inform you in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.

• Year 1, Semester 1: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
• Year 1, Semester 2: Monday, Tuesday Friday
• Year 2, Semester 1: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
• Year 2, Semester 2: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 
• Year 3, Semester 1: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday
• Year 3, Semester 2: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

You will learn through lectures, workshops, tutorials, supervised clinical placements and self-directed learning. We use a case-based and inquiry-based approach, as well as small-group teaching, to give you an interactive learning experience.

You’ll put your newly acquired knowledge into practice in clinical placements throughout the programme, starting from the very first semester. 

During semesters one and two, placements run alongside teaching, so that you can link the topics you are studying to clinical practice. You will then spend part of the summer each year on clinical placements.

• Full-time students spend four weeks (20 days) on clinical placement over the summer at the end of level one and five weeks (25 days) in the summer of level two.
• Part-time students spend 20 days on clinical placement over the summer at the end of level one, then 15 days in the summer of level two and 15 days in the summer of level three.  Summer placements usually take place over three days a week, on the same days of the week as semester two of that year – so you would complete 20 days of placement in the summer of level one over seven weeks, for example. However, these dates can be more flexible over the summer so if a different schedule would be more suitable this can be arranged with your placement provider.

Clinical placements take place across our placement region (including Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Chesterfield, Derby and Nottinghamshire). An aspect of travel is therefore expected. 

You will be assessed through exams, coursework, evaluation of your clinical practice and, in your final year, a dissertation and clinical viva.

Your career

Graduates from this course can register with the Health and Care Professions Council and practise as speech and language therapists.

Speech and language therapists are in high demand, and there are plenty of opportunities to specialise in areas such as mental health, stammering, hearing impairment, learning disabilities, eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties, or neurological impairments.

Many of our graduates have gone on to successful careers within NHS trusts, schools, charities, private practices or the justice system. Others choose to go on to further postgraduate study and a research career.

The Philippa Cottam Communication Clinic , which opened in 1993, allows you to gain valuable practical experience during your studies. 

As a speech and language therapy clinic, it supports children and adults with a range of communication difficulties. The clinic’s observation and treatment rooms allow students to work directly with people who have communication difficulties.

Our clinic has a range of features to support your learning, including integrated recording equipment so you can record and watch back your therapy sessions, and two-way mirrors so you can learn from other students' sessions. We also have a comprehensive stock of assessments, intervention resources and therapy equipment for you to practise using.

Student profiles

Charlie Gascoyne, Speech and Language Therapy

“The most rewarding thing for me studying at Sheffield was the support of the university and how enjoyable it was working alongside a diverse group of people, who were all excellent at helping each other and sharing ideas to benefit the whole cohort” explains Charlie.

Entry requirements

Minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree in any subject.

IELTS 8 (with 7.5 in each component) or University equivalent.

You should have at least two years' experience working with children.

If you are infected with hepatitis C or HIV, or if you have a disability, medical condition or learning difficulty, including dyslexia, you must disclose this on your UCAS form. All potential students with significant support needs will be individually assessed to ensure that the University is able to support them on the course.

All new students will undergo health screenings known as an Occupational Health Check, which may require an individual assessment. This is to ensure that you meet the fitness to practise standards detailed on the Higher Education Occupational Practitioners (HEOPS) guidance and is in accordance with the Department of Health National Guidelines . 

Occupational Health Checks

We offer support to students with additional needs, for example, through the Disability and Dyslexia Support Service or Student Support Services . You can find out more about the network of support services we provide. A very small number of conditions might, on health and safety grounds, affect your registration with the appropriate regulatory body and your ability to practise in certain clinical situations.

All applicants are required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure check.

Your personal statement

In your personal statement (no more than two pages) you must:

• outline your reasons for applying to train as a speech and language therapist
• demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the speech and language therapy profession
• discuss how your academic/professional/personal background has prepared you for this postgraduate course. We welcome applicants who have backgrounds in unrelated fields as long as they can demonstrate their interest for, and knowledge about, speech and language therapy
• clearly describe and reflect on relevant experiences and research you have undertaken to prepare yourself for this programme
• provide evidence that your personal values and behaviours align with the NHS constitution

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists provides useful resources to help support your university application for a speech and language therapy degree .

Applicants should apply during the application window for the year that they hope to join the course.

Due to the large number of applications we receive, we are unable to provide individual and specific feedback to applicants who are not shortlisted for an interview or who do not receive an offer for a place on the course. 

If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the school/department .

Fees and funding

Fees for 2 years, full-time route.

You'll receive an occupational health screening, immunisations and a DBS check on our professional programmes. These will be covered by your tuition fee. We recommend that you subscribe to the DBS update service within 30 days of your disclosure being issued (which you would need to pay for). You would need to pay for any additional DBS checks that may be required if you do not subscribe to the DBS update service.

Clinical placements are a compulsory element of the degree, which means that there will be an additional expense for travel and accommodation (where applicable).

If you are a UK student you will be able to apply for reimbursement for excess travel expenses and dual accommodation costs for placements from the NHS Learning Support Fund . In order to claim, the total cost of your daily return travel from your normal accommodation to your practice placement site must exceed the cost of your usual daily return travel to university.

If you travel to placement in your own motor vehicle, it is your responsibility to ensure that you have adequate insurance cover for all risks associated with its use (i.e. this includes obtaining business use on your insurance policy). This cannot be reimbursed.

For EU and international students the additional placement costs will be self-funded.

Eligible  English-domiciled full-time students  on pre-registration postgraduate healthcare courses can apply for funding from Student Finance England using the undergraduate funding process. You can access this support even if you have received loans to study an undergraduate or postgraduate course before. More information can be found on the government and NHS websites:

• GOV.UK - Student finance for undergraduates - Eligibility
• NHS - Financial support at university

Further information about the undergraduate funding available can be found on our undergraduate government loans and support  web pages.

If you are studying part-time, you may be eligible for a masters loan. Further information about the postgraduate funding available can be found on our postgraduate  postgraduate government loans and support web pages .

If you live in one of the  devolved nations , you may be able to access support from your funding provider. Awards and eligibility criteria vary.

• Wales -  Student Finance Wales
• Northern Ireland -  Student Finance Northern Ireland
• Scotland -  Student Awards Agency Scotland

As a postgraduate student, you cannot apply for undergraduate scholarships.

NHS Learning Support Fund

Eligible students may also be able to apply to the  NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) .

You can apply now using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It's a quick and easy process.

More information

School of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery

[email protected]

+44 114 222 2405