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Medicine Personal Statement Examples

Writing a medicine personal statement has been a part of the lives of medical applicants for many years and is a fundamental part of the selection criteria. The way in which the UCAS personal statement is structured and written is changing for 2026 with the process shifting to a short answer format. However, for all 2025 entry students, the UCAS personal statement will remain the same. 

Table of Contents

In this article, we will explore a range of different personal statement examples with explanations of their ranking to help you in the process of writing your own medicine personal statement. 

What Makes a Good Medicine Personal Statement?

• Unique and personal 
• Reflection on experience, weakness, and strengths
• Showing realistic insight into the medical profession with a coherent narrative based on genuine experience and reflection
• Discussion of extra-curricular activities with an emphasis on the characteristics, skills, and personal traits that will serve you well in a career in medicine 

Medicine Personal Statement Example 1:

My decision to pursue a career in medicine stems from a longstanding interest in the human body and the science of healthcare. Over the years, I have engaged in various activities and studies that have prepared me for this path, and I am eager to contribute to the medical field.

My first significant exposure to healthcare was during my time volunteering at a local care home. This role involved assisting elderly residents with their daily activities and supporting the nursing staff. This experience provided me with a clear understanding of the practical aspects of patient care, particularly in managing chronic illnesses and providing support to those in need. My time at the care home taught me the value of being detail-oriented and the importance of providing consistent care to maintain the well-being of patients.

In addition to volunteering, I completed a placement at a local hospital where I had the opportunity to observe various medical professionals in action. I shadowed doctors in different departments, including general medicine and surgery, which allowed me to gain insights into the workings of a hospital. I observed doctors carrying out surgeries which ranged from a simple appendectomy to a complex bypass surgery, this was fascinating. I also enjoyed watching doctors talk with patients.  One notable experience was observing a complex surgical procedure, which highlighted the technical skills required in the medical field and the importance of maintaining composure in high-pressure situations.

Academically, I have focused on subjects that provide a strong foundation for a career in medicine. My studies in Biology and Chemistry have given me a solid understanding of the scientific principles essential to medical practice. Through coursework, I have developed strong analytical skills which would be useful in medicine. I have also participated in various group projects that required collaboration and communication which would be useful in medicine.

Outside of my formal studies and medical-related experiences, I have also been involved in extracurricular activities that have developed my leadership and organisational abilities. For example, I have been a member of the student council, where I played a role in organising events and representing my peers. 

My work experience has also included a part-time job in a pharmacy, where I gained further insight into the healthcare system from a different perspective. Working in a pharmacy involved interacting with patients and working on the till and answering patients’ questions. This experience reinforced my interest in the pharmacological aspects of medicine and the critical role that pharmacists play in patient care.

I am committed to pursuing a career in medicine because it combines my interest in science with the opportunity to make a tangible difference in people’s lives. The experiences I have gained thus far have equipped me with a strong foundation in patient care, a solid understanding of the healthcare environment, and the necessary academic background. I am eager to continue my education in medicine and look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in this rewarding profession.

What could this medicine personal statement do better?

• This statement is slightly too descriptive in nature with a focus on recounting the details of placements and is a statement of fact. This statement would be improved by making it more reflective in nature and through linking it to future clinical practice. 
• This statement does not have a strong conclusion and is too focused on the activities that were done as opposed to the skills or insight gained throughout the process
• This statement could go further to reflect on work experience and reference future aspirations and self-development which could follow this placement. It is always a fantastic idea to discuss how you would take this learning forward in your future development as a medical student and a future doctor.

What does this medicine personal statement do well?

• This statement has a strong conclusion which summarises the reflective elements of the statement. It brings together the core themes and relates them to a future clinical practice and uses this to indicate a readiness for a future career in medicine. 

Medicine Personal Statement Example 2: 

Graduate medicine applicant .

In studying a degree in politics, I have developed, flourished and remain undeterred in my desire to pursue a career in medicine. My scientific fascination with the body and its functions has remained secure throughout and I am drawn to follow the vocation that is the complex and nuanced role of a doctor. 

Shadowing a GP, I learnt about best practices and the importance of consistent process in improving the quality of modern GP consultations. Participating in a role play and ethical decision-making seminar with two junior doctors helped me realise that learning, personal development and complex ethical questions remain key components of a doctor’s life. Sitting in on practice meetings highlighted the intricacies of medicine as a business and the ultra-medical roles of doctors. Through volunteering at —— Children’s Hospital, the experience of assisting nurses, comforting parents and distracting children has taught me that small acts of kindness can improve hospital environments for parents and children simply by reassuring and understanding their difficulties. Observing the relationship between doctors and nurses also taught me about the importance of multi-disciplinary teams and strong communication in the functioning of an effective medical service. Recognising a gap in my knowledge of social services, I volunteered for a homeless outreach organisation. I worked with clients to provide services like showers, food and access to housing schemes. I also spent time with the outreach nurse. This taught me about the essential services provided and the necessity for judgement-free consulting, reinforcing to me the fundamental connection between poverty, illness and the wide variety of social circumstances surrounding homelessness. It has developed my understanding of the complex and nuanced role of a medical professional and the importance of strong coordination between medical and social services to provide the best patient care possible. 

On my gap year, I travelled the US. Whilst the experience developed my ability to manage stress, organise time and maintain relationships, I was most heavily impacted by my first-hand knowledge of the North American Opioid Crisis, driving my scientific curiosity throughout my university life and strongly influencing my dissertation. I explored the role of the over prescription of opioid medications in the North American Opioid Crisis and its political influences. During my research, I have formulated clear links between politics and medicine by breaking down complex questions into component sections, independently researching pharmaceutical knowledge and studying the importance of socio-political factors in medicine. This scientific curiosity builds on my EPQ in which I explored the possibility of using stem cells to repair damaged cardiac muscle following myocardial infarction. I have developed a wide array of life skills through my participation in team sports, music, part-time work and Camp America. At University, I am the 1st Team Football Captain, and this involves managing and maintaining the morale of my players, ensuring the health and safety of my team, and assisting with their time management. Through understanding the different needs of individuals, I have adapted my approach and techniques and developed the ability to accept my failures and learn from them. Through my music and part-time work, I have learnt to prioritise, work long hours and engage in skills workshops in order to progress. Through Camp America, I further developed my ability to support sick children, manage my positivity and to recharge my energy in a healthy and constructive way. 

I recognise the complex difficulties of the medical profession, and I do not underestimate the necessary commitment. I believe that I have been developing the skills and personal traits required in a successful doctor and I remain dedicated to working to the best of my ability throughout a medical career .

• This statement addresses the background of the applicant well and explores how the motivation for medicine remained consistent throughout the process of the first degree. As applicants pursuing Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) this is important as it allows you to build upon your additional experience from the undergraduate but also allows you to demonstrate a long term and thoughtful process of reflection that leads to a career in medicine. 
• This statement cleverly draws the link between the previous degree and a career in medicine and does not depart from the previous study but instead illustrates how this study was formative and key to their development. 
• This statement has a strong reflective element when discussing work experience and uses this in a future forward manner whereby they are demonstrating how their experience has shaped them and how they will use this in a future career in medicine

What could this medicine personal statement improve?

• This statement could have a stronger introduction with a clearer direction for the statement established in that first line

Medicine Personal Statement Example 3: Poor Personal Statement

Ever since I was young, I’ve wanted to be a doctor because it seems like a good job where you get to help people. I think medicine is really interesting, especially when people are sick and doctors make them better. My uncle is a doctor, and he says it’s a great job with lots of rewards, so I thought it would be a good idea to do the same.

I haven’t done much in terms of work experience, but I once visited a hospital when my friend broke his leg. It was amazing to see how the doctors worked and how they fixed his leg. The nurses were also very nice, which made me think that hospitals are positive places to work. I also visited a few doctors’ offices as a patient, which gave me an idea of what it’s like to be a doctor.

In school, I have done well in most subjects, although I find some of them quite boring. I think science subjects are the most useful for becoming a doctor, so I have tried to focus on those. I got good grades in Biology and Chemistry, but I am not really interested in Physics because it’s too hard and not very relevant to medicine. However, I am confident that I will do well enough in my exams to get into medical school.

Outside of school, I haven’t really done much that relates to medicine, but I do like watching medical TV shows. They show a lot of what it’s like to be a doctor, and I find that really inspiring. I am also part of the school chess club, which has nothing to do with medicine, but I think it shows that I am good at strategy and thinking ahead, which could be useful in medicine.

I think I would be a good doctor because I care about people and want to make a lot of money while doing something important. I think doctors are respected and have good lives, and that is something I want for myself. I also like the idea of being in charge and making decisions that affect other people, which seems like something doctors do a lot.

In conclusion, I think medicine is a good career choice for me because it seems like a stable and rewarding job. I haven’t had a lot of direct experience, but I am sure that I will learn everything I need to know in medical school. I am excited about the idea of becoming a doctor and hope to get into a good medical school that will set me on the path to success.

Key Issues with this Medicine Personal Statement:

• Vague Motivation : The motivation for wanting to become a doctor is not well articulated. The statement begins with a generic and unconvincing reason (“it seems like a good job where you get to help people”).
• Lack of Relevant Experience : There is little to no relevant work experience mentioned. The writer relies on a brief visit to a hospital as a visitor, which does not demonstrate a real understanding or commitment to the field of medicine.
• Irrelevant Information : The mention of watching medical TV shows and being part of a chess club are irrelevant to the application. These points do not contribute to the applicant’s suitability for a medical career.
• Poor Academic Focus : The statement mentions a dislike for Physics and a general lack of interest in certain subjects, which could raise concerns about the applicant’s commitment and academic readiness for the challenges of medical school.
• Misguided Motivation : The desire to make a lot of money and be in charge are not appropriate primary motivations for entering the medical field. These motivations may reflect poorly on the applicant’s understanding of the profession.
• Lack of Structure and Coherence : The statement is disjointed and lacks a clear structure. It jumps from one topic to another without a coherent flow, making it difficult to follow.
• Overconfidence : The applicant expresses unwarranted confidence in their ability to succeed in medical school without demonstrating the necessary preparation or understanding of what the course entails.
• Lack of Personal Insight : The statement lacks personal reflection and does not convey the applicant’s genuine interest or dedication to the field of medicine.

This example illustrates how a poorly constructed personal statement can fail to make a compelling case for admission to medical school. It’s important to be reflective, specific, and focused when writing a personal statement to ensure it effectively communicates your suitability for the field.

In summary, writing a personal statement is exactly that, the process is an inherently personal process and therefore should be honest and deliberate in its approach. Our medicine personal statement guides and blog posts are there to provide inspiration and common pitfalls to avoid but in the end the medicine personal statement should be a true reflection of you and your motivation for medicine. If you would like to explore your statement further with a medicine personal statement tutor , then our personal statement service may be the perfect fit for you.  

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UCAS personal statement for Graduate Entry to medicine

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

Key elements to include:

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

How to write your personal statement

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

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

Top tips: Medicmind personal statement

Examples of successful statements:

• University Compare: Example Medicine personal statements
• University of Oxford - Medicine: Anatomy of a personal statement
• 6Med: Medicine personal statement inspiration
• Aspiring Medics: Medicine personal statement
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Successful UCAS Medicine Personal Statement Example & Analysis

An example of a successful medicine personal statement.

Below is an example of a strong medicine personal statement that the Medicine Answered team improved. This medicine personal statement rewarded the applicant with interviews at all four medical schools, helping them to secure four offers. We have kindly been granted permission to post it. A complete analysis follows, showing paragraph by paragraph precisely what makes this medicine personal statement strong and how the multiple weaknesses initially present were corrected. This will help you to do the same and write a powerful medicine personal statement. Note: this medicine personal statement is of an A-level candidate. It is still very relevant to graduates. However, later in this article, we advise specifically on writing a Graduate Entry Medicine personal statement and the critical differences all graduates must consider.

This medicine personal statement does an excellent job of using the limited characters available to illustrate what skills the candidate gained from their activities; rather than using most of the characters to explain what these activities are. However, this is done skilfully so that the reader still clearly knows enough from these brief descriptions to understand what the activities are. This use of succinct language frees up characters so that they can instead be used to discuss the meaning and insight that the candidate gained from these activities.

Failure to illustrate what a candidate has learned is a classic mistake in many medicine personal statements. This was a particular issue this candidate had in their initial Medicine personal statement. They had many different types of experiences to list and could not describe them succinctly, causing their Medicine personal statement to far exceed the character limit. By using a more succinct writing style and focusing on illustrating activities rather than describing them, this reviewed version corrected this common medicine personal statement weakness.

UCAS UK Medicine personal statement example which received four offers for interview

“I wish to study medicine as I have long held the ambition to pursue a career that would help others and contribute to the community. As a carer for my grandmother, who has severe arthritis, I have seen how much of a difference good healthcare can make to her life. Shadowing a GP and witnessing the reassurance and help given to patients reinforced this and strengthened my ambition to study medicine. A Medlink lecture on psychiatry sparked my interest, so in college, I co-founded and led a mentoring group called ____ mentoring. Using concepts from cognitive behavioural therapy, I mentored students with low self-esteem or who were having problems at college. I taught after-school lessons on topics such as dealing with failure, stress and goal setting. Selecting a team, delegating work and organising meetings strengthened my leadership skills, while working to strict deadlines improved my organisation. We presented our work to an NHS psychologist, who gave us valuable feedback. We are currently filming our programme to make it available online and in other colleges. I undertook a residential stay at a holiday home for disabled people, where I took guests on day trips and helped to feed and toilet them. Many guests were completely reliant on carers and could not communicate verbally. At times, they would become violent. At first, I found this intimidating, but during the two weeks I learnt how to deal with these situations. I also volunteered at a summer playscheme where several children had learning disabilities. Being responsible for groups of children increased my confidence in caring for others: I found dealing with quieter children and including them in group activities to be rewarding. To develop my understanding of the children I read several books about how learning disabilities affect peoples’ lives. Teamwork is vital in all aspects of medicine, which I find very appealing. I witnessed a live scoliosis surgery, during which I saw how the outcome depended on the skill and dedication not only of the surgeon but also of every other member of the team. At the GP, I learnt how the clerical staff and nurses were vital in the running of the practice. Medicine is a dynamic profession that will continue to undergo major advances in the next few decades. These developments will require a commitment to lifelong learning, and I find the prospect of this exciting. I have attended lectures on topics such as premature birth and pharmacogenetics. During a lecture on RNA Interference (RNAi), the lecturer stated RNAi could be the most important development in medicine since antibiotics. Intrigued by this claim, I completed a 2500-word essay on RNAi and its impact on medicine. It was a challenging topic, but I found that I enjoyed using post-A-level books and medical journals, which improved my research skills. Next year, I will be travelling through Asia and Europe. I have secured work at a Romanian orphanage and will start a placement at ______________ hospital this October. I have also applied for a 10-week development and teaching project in Africa. I am currently learning Thai Boxing and sign language and taking courses in self-development and memory improvement. I participate in basketball tournaments and play tennis. I play the violin to grade 3 and find music helps me to relax. I gained a 200-hour Millennium Volunteers award, a v50 award and I am currently completing a Gold DofE award. I am part of a focus group for a national volunteering organisation. We organise events and promote the benefits of voluntary work to individuals and organisations. My experiences have made me absolutely committed to becoming a doctor, and I believe that they have also prepared me to cope with the demands of studying medicine. I realise that the long hours and often stressful situations which doctors work in are daunting, but it is a challenge I am willing to meet because of the satisfaction that I find in making a difference to peoples’ lives.”

Analysis of this Medicine personal statement

The overall structure of this medicine personal statement..

The initial medical school personal statement lacked a smooth flow as it skipped from point to point without any clear connection between the points. This also made it very easy for the reader to miss certain points or to forget them after they finished reading the Medicine personal statement. Therefore in this reviewed version, we took different scattered points throughout the document and grouped them into themed paragraphs giving the medicine personal statement structure and flow, making it easier to follow and read more like a story.

Paragraph 1 Of This Medicine Personal Statement

Notice that this Medicine personal statement opening paragraph has one central theme: doctors can help people -> the author has seen this for himself -> this fuels his desire to study Medicine -> he has confirmed this through work experience.

What is done well in this edited opening paragraph, is an event is described, and this is followed up by explaining the reason why this makes the author want to study Medicine. The candidate says how he was a carer for his disabled grandmother, and he shadowed a GP. In the unedited version, this was all he wrote. These are just statements and don’t say why that would want to make him study Medicine. Plenty of people look after a disabled relative but do not want to be a doctor so why does the author? However, in the edited medicine personal statement, we added the reason why his grandmother and the GP work experience caused him to want to study Medicine. Of course, the space is so limited in a medicine personal statement that you cannot expand on points very much. A deliberate choice has to be made about which points should be developed and which should not.

Note that the reasons for studying Medicine and examples used in this opening paragraph are not original. There is no unique Medicine personal statement opening line. This is a relatively typical Medicine personal statement opening paragraph. However, that is completely fine. These are solid reasons for studying Medicine and are true for the candidate.

Paragraph 2 Of This Medical Personal Statement

The edited version of paragraph 2 does an excellent job of succinctly explaining an unknown project to the reader without becoming verbose or complicated. It demonstrates what skills the candidate has learned, and they are perfect for studying Medicine, so this is a great example to use. Very few characters are wasted on describing the contents of the lecture or attending Medlink as the other content in this paragraph is far more impressive and important to write. For this reason, it was edited in this way as the unedited version was verbose and wasted many characters on explaining things such as “I attended the Medlink residential course which had various lectures including ….etc.” These do not add anything to enhance the author’s accomplishments and are not needed for narrative purposes either. The assessor already knows what Medlink is.

Many candidates try to state in their Medicine personal statement that they possess the ability to deal with pressure and have good stress/time management skills etc. The edited personal statement makes it more obvious to the reader that the candidate has taught these skills to others. This implies to the reader that the candidate understands these concepts well enough to be able to teach them to others. This is far more effective than if the candidate merely claimed to have these skills. The original wording in the candidate’s initial medicine personal statement was sloppy, so the teaching element was less clear. This is corrected in the reviewed medical school personal statement.

Paragraph 3 Of This Medicine Personal Statement

These are two good examples of caring role work experience, and in the unedited version, the candidate gave some insightful thoughts on things he learned. However, it was mixed in with lots of unnecessary content which diluted the strength of the good points. In this edited version, this is a powerful paragraph because the writer omits the extra material. This causes the remaining text to be more powerful, and it now shows that the candidate has keen self-awareness and insight. He can extract solid learning points from his experiences.

Essentially the candidate is saying he was acutely aware of how he felt during the experiences. He knew that it was challenging to deal with people who had limited communication skills, who could become violent (he even used the word intimidating) and when he was responsible for groups of children. Despite this, he persisted with these experiences and learnt from them. This demonstrates that he is a self-reflective learner. The statement about doing further reading shows how he is an independent learner. He can identify his own learning needs and knows how to pursue them. Being a self-reflective and independent learner is essential for studying Medicine particularly in PBL courses. The candidate is showing he has these skills as well as a lot of maturity and self-awareness in this paragraph of his medicine personal statement.

Paragraph 4 Of This Medicine Personal Statement

You will notice that the things mentioned in this paragraph are very routine things to put into a Medical personal statement and are very passive in nature (i.e. the candidate is not actively doing anything, he is just watching a procedure, he is watching the GP staff). In the unedited version, it very much read like this, i.e. the candidate was a passive observer. In the edited paragraph, however, it becomes more active and unique. Look how once again the author describes an event and then explains a learning point or gives a reflection. Notice how only a few of the words in this paragraph describe what the candidate did. Most of the words describe what the candidate learned and his reflections on the experiences. This is far more powerful than just listing the steps of the operation or describing the activities of the admin staff.

Paragraph 5 Of This Medicine Personal Statement

This paragraph is themed around the author’s keen scientific curiosity and passion for learning. He describes attending lectures and doing activities which are clearly outside of his A-level curriculum. This paragraph is cleverly constructed to make use of the limited character count by not wasting words on how or where he attended these lectures or stating that they are in addition to his A-levels. It is self-evident that they are extracurricular and he does not need to waste words to spell this out. The topics discussed are things that the author needs to understand well as they can be brought up in the Medicine interview. We highlighted to the candidate suggested areas which may be raised at interview, which indeed did arise.

He once again demonstrates that he is a self-reflective and independent learner by talking about various lectures he attends, and how he explored one lecture further by writing an essay on the topic. Note that the author in paragraph two also states how a Medlink talk sparked his interest and he developed things further. This is an individual with curiosity and a desire to understand things further. He once again shows self-reflection when he says that it was challenging to use post-A-level books and medical journals, but he enjoyed the challenge and looks forward to the academic challenges of the ever-evolving field of Medicine.

Paragraph 6 + 7 Of This Medicine Personal Statement

Note that with the correct reflective style it is possible to show the benefits of almost any hobby . For example, if we look at another medicine personal statement we reviewed, the candidate initially stated that playing doubles badminton enhanced their teamwork skills and gave a few basic reflections. This is not bad, but more could be extracted from this hobby. In the reviewed version this was discussed in greater depth and placed as part of an entire paragraph where the theme was teamwork – both in medicine and how the candidate also works to enhance their teamwork skills. See how it was possible to extract much more from this hobby: First we discussed teamwork in medicine and how then how the candidate also seeks to improve their teamwork skills followed by “working as a pair necessitates an awareness of each other’s strengths & weaknesses. We must then work to merge these in a way that potentiates our combined strengths & mitigates our weaknesses. We must consider how our opponents’ factor into this. The fast-pace of badminton requires the ability to make rapid decisions under pressure while still working towards an overall game plan.” This is far better than what the candidate originally said in their medical school personal statement about badminton being good for teamwork and thinking fast.

Making the most of the candidates work experience

How can Medicine Answered help you with your medicine personal statement?

Our Premium Medicine Personal Statement Review Service

This is a highly specialised service. Your medicine personal statement will be reviewed by both a professional editor with specific expertise in medical admissions to ensure the writing style is flawless; and also a qualified doctor who received all four offers to study Medicine to ensure all the content is excellent. This is our minimum standard. We do not use medical students or non-professional editors.

360 Application Review

This includes a full Medicine personal statement review as detailed. Additionally, a doctor will look at your academic grades, UKCAT scores (comparing them with the current 2018 results for this cycle) and work experience. In the context of your whole application , they will also suggest topics which may be discussed at your interview. They will provide a plan for what to do next to move forward and prepare for the rest of your Medicine application. They will give tailored feedback on these elements and based on this provide further suggestions on making strategically sound medical school choices in a way that maximises your individual strengths and minimises your weaknesses.

For more information about both services, visit the Medical Personal Statement Review page, or contact a member of our team.

Our free guides to helping you write an excellent medicine personal statement

Medicine Answered offer the following entirely free guides which will help you to write a superb Medicine personal statement:

How to write a medical school personal statement in 10 steps – this will help to take you from step 1, with no ideas and nothing written down; to step 10, a completed medical school personal statement.

How to write a Graduate Entry Medical School Personal Statement – this discusses how graduates should write their medicine personal statement whether they are applying to Standard Entry Medicine or Graduate Entry Medicine courses.

Further Related Questions 2023

What are the Manchester Medical School “non-academic information form” or the Keele Medical School “roles and responsibilities form”?

Manchester Medical School asks all candidates to also complete a non-academic information form after submitting their UCAS application. The other medical schools do not see this form as it is sent directly to Manchester. This form is very similar to a medical school personal statement but is under a format that the medical school controls. It contains headings which are the same types of topic that you would discuss in a medicine personal statement. The headings are “Experience in a caring role” “Hobbies and interests” “Teamwork” and “Motivation for Medicine”. Keele Medical School has a similar form called the roles and responsibilities form. Again it is sent directly to Keele Medical School. Both these forms should be treated as a separate piece of work from the medicine personal statement even though there is large overlap.

What is the UCAS word limit for medical school personal statements?

A medicine personal statement must meet the following two criteria:

1. Be less than 4000 characters (the counter UCAS use to determine the character count is slightly different from the word counter on most word processors, e.g. Microsoft Word. This is because the UCAS system counts punctuation, spaces, tabs and paragraph lines).

2. Be no longer than 47 lines on the UCAS system (again this is different to what 47 lines on a word processor would look like).

Successful Graduate Entry Medicine Personal Statement Example (St George’s, Swansea, Nottingham)

Share with a friend!

My success at getting into Graduate Entry Medicine was partly thanks to my personal statement. Of all the universities I applied to, I got into the one I wanted to go to the most!

I received invites to interview at St George’s, University of London, Swansea University Medical School and University of Nottingham Medical School.

Check out my blog post 7 Steps to a Successful Personal Statement for Graduate Entry Medicine for further guidance and my Ultimate Medicine Personal Statement Checklist (free download) .

One last thing:  DO NOT COPY ANY PART OF MY OR ANYONE ELSE’S PERSONAL STATEMENT . Nowadays, clever software will identify any similarities and you will be caught out. Also, it’s just not ethical and the best way to make your personal statement stand out is to make it unique to you anyway!

From a young age I have had a passion and aptitude for medical science. I acquired a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Sciences and I am now completing a Master’s in biomedical engineering. Subsequent to volunteering in multiple healthcare environments and shadowing multiple doctors I am now certain that medicine as a career is the correct choice for me.

I highly value the privilege of being able to support someone in their time of need. Over the past several years I have arranged four medical work experience programmes: shadowing radiologists, a general practitioner and two medical teams for elite rugby players. When I had the opportunity to sit in on the consultations of a general practitioner I observed that despite the time pressure he was under he was patient and genuinely warm towards all his patients. This touched me and impressed upon me the more empathetic aspects of being a doctor. Having a career to which empathy is central greatly appeals to me. Since June 2015 I have volunteered at a support helpline and I have further grasped that having even several minutes to talk to a non-judgemental and impartial listener can make a huge difference to someone’s well-being. I recently volunteered weekly at a hospital facilitating fun activities for patients on wards. Through building relationships with patients I have seen first-hand how lonely and restless patients can become and how chatting with someone familiar can improve their day.  To be able to build positive relationships with others daily also draws me to the medical profession.

I am compelled to pursue a vocation in which lifelong learning of medical science and use of scientific methods are key. For example, in the third year of my Bachelor’s degree I wrote a dissertation that explored the possible mechanisms that influence musculoskeletal performance as a result of a genetic polymorphism. Despite the amount of data I analysed it was not possible to deduce the exact biomechanisms at work as a result of this single genetic element. It showed me how much there is still to learn about the human body. I am now studying biomedical engineering for a Master’s in order to learn more about the body as well as the engineering of cutting-edge medical technology.

Through reading books in my spare time I have developed a keen interest in medical ethics. For instance, I found The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot a very thought-provoking book in its treatment of the ethics of medical research and the duties doctors have towards their patients. The upsetting experience of Henrietta Lacks’ family as they tried to understand what happened to her cells following her death echoed to me the importance of clear and honest communication with patients. The latter is an art I am excited to develop further as a physician.

As a doctor I realise that it will be essential to be an excellent leader and team player.  Whilst studying my bachelor’s degree I was elected captain of the women’s rugby club and was awarded Captain of the Year and Sports Personality of the Year by my students’ union for outstanding organisation and leadership. I learnt that teamwork is paramount for maximal success, for example working collaboratively within the rugby club’s committee to achieve a national team of the year award. I found undertaking my degree, being captain of a sports team and volunteering in other roles all in my second year challenging at times however I have gained huge confidence in my ability to cope under stress and to balance my academic and extracurricular duties.

While the life of a doctor will be a challenging one, I feel I have what it takes to be a successful doctor. I have an enthusiasm for science as well as other peoples’ well-being. My work experience with doctors has shown me the realities of such a career. I am a hard worker with an open and enquiring mind and medicine is the most stimulating career I could hope for as well as being one for which I feel ideally suited.

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Crafting an Outstanding Personal Statement as a Graduate Entry Medicine Applicant

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

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

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

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

Articulating Your Motivations Convincingly

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

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

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

Common Motivations for Graduate Applicants

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

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

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

Reflect Deeply on Your Influences

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

Balance Enthusiasm With Realism

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

Leveraging Your Advantages as a Mature Applicant

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

Broader perspective  

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

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

Strong life skills  

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

Leadership abilities  

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

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

Enhanced resilience  

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

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

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

Demonstrating Up-To-Date Medical Understanding

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

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

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

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

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

Highlighting Care Experience with Patients

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

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

Emphasize interactions that reaffirmed your people-centered values:

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

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

Structuring Your Statement Strategically

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

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

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

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

Reflecting Appropriately on Your Background

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

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

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

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

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

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

Balancing Enthusiasm with Realistic Expectations

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

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

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

Key Takeaways

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

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

Are you ready to submit a compelling medicine personal statement that showcases your unique experiences, skills, and motivations? Our Medicine  Personal Statement Review  service is here to help you create a statement that stands out!

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Medicine: Writing your Personal Statement

Download this page as a pdf document

Your personal statement is an important part of your application to Oxford. It allows you to tell us about your interests, achievements and ambitions in your own words. Although we do not formally score your statement we read it carefully. If you are invited for interview, the statement is likely to provide a focus for the questions that you are asked. It is therefore essential that your statement is an accurate, unembellished account of your activities. We may check the claims that you make on your statement: discovery of fabricated or exaggerated material – during the admissions exercise, or even later on during your time as a student – may bring into question your suitability to practise Medicine. 

Present yourself in the best light:  the same basic facts about yourself (in terms of education, interests, experience), when presented differently, can quite dramatically convey positive or negative messages about you to tutors.

For A100 Medicine at Oxford, UCAT and (if taken) GCSEs are predominantly used initially to determine whether or not you are short-listed for interview. The information that you provide in your personal statement becomes increasingly important if you are not short-listed on the basis of UCAT score and (if taken) your GCSEs. Of course, every detail becomes important once you have reached the interviews and are being considered for a place.

1. Please do not be shy in declaring any mitigating circumstances

These may help us to put your achievements or personality within a finer context. We actively look for reasons why you may have under-performed in examinations, or performed well against the odds. These may be factors associated with your schooling, health or domestic circumstances. If you are returning to study after a break, or switching vocation, it is even more important to highlight your reasons for choosing to study Medicine, and for you to demonstrate your determination, resilience, ability and commitment. 

2. Do not simply recount everything you have ever undertaken

We’re looking for quality, not quantity! Remember that large numbers of applicants apply for our courses. Tell us in what ways you will stand out from the crowd. In choosing to talk about an activity, describe what you have drawn from the experience: has it changed you as a person? Did it surprise you?

3. We want to learn about you as a person, not just about your academic qualifications

If you have undertaken extra-curricular activities, or hold positions of responsibility at school, tell us why you sought these, and why they are important to you. You will not impress us by simply recounting that you took up a placement in Thailand, but we might be more appreciative if you tell us what you personally learnt from the experience, about your interaction with local people, and about shadowing the medical team working within your village. 

Example: I have become involved with a city music and drama group, and work especially with the younger members. I find this exciting and more than occasionally challenging. Coaching for the group has given me experience in organising others, as well as teaching them. Watching group members learn and progress is thrilling, especially in the case of one of them who has ADHD. At first he was incapable of remaining still, silent or attentive for even a few minutes, but eventually became far more focused and calmer, making excellent progress in many areas.

4. Directly address our selection criteria in your statement

Here are our selection criteria and some examples:

Personal characteristics: suitability for medicine

• Empathy: ability and willingness to imagine the feelings of others and understand the reasons for the views of others

Example: My volunteering in the local community and my studies in Religion and Classical Civilization have also increased my ability to understand varying cultural, ethical and social perspectives, and allowed me to look at issues in a wider context.

• Motivation: a reasonably well-informed and strong desire to practise medicine

Example: My interest in the human body burgeoned while I was taking the Essentials of First Aid class organised by St John Ambulance. The two consecutive years of volunteer service in X Hospital that followed reinforced my passion for the subject.

• Communication: ability to make knowledge and ideas clear using language appropriate to the audience
• Honesty and Integrity
• Ethical awareness
• Ability to work with others

Example: I have had a weekend job at X since 2016, which has further allowed me to develop teamwork skills, taught me how to work towards personal targets when under pressure, and allowed me to interact with many different members of the public.

Example: Dancing has taught me valuable people skills; you learn to work intimately with fellow dancers and trust them completely.

• Capacity for sustained and intense work

Academic Potential

• Problem-solving: critical thinking, analytical approach
• Intellectual curiosity: keenness to understand the reason for observations; depth; tendency to look for meaning; enthusiasm and curiosity in science
• Communication skills: willingness and ability to express clearly and effectively; ability to listen; compatibility with tutorial format

Example: Studying History at A-level has helped develop my writing and critical analysis skills.

Example: At school I have taken part in a French exchange programme which greatly improved my language skills, independence and confidence.

5. You will not be alone in trying to open your statement with an attention grabbing intro

If you try this, make sure it helps tutors to learn something about what motivates and enthuses you.

Example: My vast collection of books and videos on "How the Body Works" when I was 7 years old first triggered my interest in the functions of the body. Watching the little personified, cartoon blobs that represented red blood cells run around an animated yet functioning body fascinated me and I longed to find out more. As a result, when a friend received a letter explaining their little girl had just been diagnosed with X at just 14 months old, I was intrigued to find out what this was.

6. The statement is called a personal statement for a reason

It should be written by you, not by your parents, siblings, or teachers. Do not plagiarise material that you find on the web as there is a great chance that such deception will be discovered.

7. Do not feel that there is a precise template to follow that will score you points!

We look for bright and independent thinkers, so try to be original!

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Medicine personal statements

Stuck with writing your personal statement? Use these example personal statements for inspiration!

A word of warning

Not all of these personal statements are exemplars - they are not perfect. This is a cross-section of personal statements submitted over many years, and they are not necessarily personal statements that have achieved offers. You also need to understand that personal statements that have achieved offers are not automatically perfect.

For more general advice on your medicine application, see a community discussion on the best getting into medical school books  and medicine textbook recommendations .

A note on plagiarism

It should go without saying, but do not plagiarise any of these statements. UCAS has a very sophisticated plagiarism checker which will check your submitted statement against these and other personal statements, and any discrepancies may be used against you. In the worst case scenario, it may lead to UCAS contacting the universities you have applied to and the forced withdrawal of your application to study your particular subject. Do not risk it. These are to look at and to be inspired by, not to copy.

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Graduate Medicine Personal Statement Examples – Sunderland (Ikrah)

Home » Application Guide » Graduate Medicine Personal Statement Examples – Sunderland (Ikrah)

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

Ikrah applied to study Graduate Medicine in 2021 after completing a Medical Sciences course and was subsequently offered a place at the University of Sunderland , which he now attends.

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

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

University of Sunderland Medicine Personal Statement Example

Whole personal statement.

As a Medical Scientist, I have a good foundation of medical theory. My first-hand experiences have contextualised my understanding of the application of medicine in prognosis, diagnosis, and therapeutics. Applying my knowledge and skill set to add value to the lives of others is what I would want from a career, and I feel medicine captures this.  

I have learnt about the commitments involved in medicine through clinical experiences. When shadowing a gastroenterologist team, I enjoyed the fast-paced and challenging environment of ward rounds. The depth of knowledge required appealed to a side of me that is ambitious and driven. I learnt the value of patience in optimising patient outcomes. Doctors took time to understand the holistic needs of patients before deciding on treatments and interventions.  

Observing in theatre was a highlight of shadowing a general surgeon. It was a high-pressure environment that relied on effective communication within the surgical team. This was reinforced when I worked as a ward clerk on general surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team offered a unique perspective on the resilience of NHS staff. I provided clerical support by relaying high volumes of information and implementing data protection laws. Within my role I had significant patient interaction. I helped patients use technology to communicate with their friends and family during restricted visiting. It was rewarding to witness the positive impact this had on their wellbeing.  

During my final year of Medical Sciences, I researched wound healing in people with diabetes. This developed my analytical skills as I collated and interpreted literature to draw conclusions. It was exciting to be a part of leading research that focused on improving patient outcomes. I also enjoy teaching, which is an integral part of medical advancement. As a teaching support technician, I work with academics and students to deliver clinical skills sessions for various healthcare degrees. This has given me the opportunity to experience medical teaching from an educational perspective. I look forward to embracing the variety of roles in medicine throughout my career.  

Alongside my academic studies, I mentored students. I showed empathy and sensitivity when they confided in me about their concerns. I volunteered weekly in A&E at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital and continued virtually throughout the pandemic as a Check In and Chat volunteer. I found the absence of face-to-face contact challenging but overcame this by using verbal cues to ensure engagement on calls. On one occasion, I made a referral to the community team for an individual unable to get food for themselves.  

It is clear delivering care as a doctor requires professionalism and comes with high levels of responsibility. Over the course of my degree, I developed leadership skills when facilitating discussions in small group sessions. This better equipped me to manage events for my university’s baking society. I have continued to bake in my spare time to maintain a good work-life balance. Going to the gym regularly helps me to relieve stress and stay active. I have participated in Parkrun, a GP encouraged initiative, which grasps the importance of considering physical and mental health.  

Medicine encapsulates what I would want from a career long term. I am prepared for the lifelong commitment to an equally rewarding and challenging career.  

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University of Sunderland Medicine Personal Statement Example Analysis

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

INTRODUCTION

Introduction

This first part is short and introduces me nicely. A lot of people aren’t so lucky as to have a defining life moment that leads them to medicine so coming up with an opener that sets the bar for the rest of your PS   can be challenging. My advice would be to keep it simple and not introduce too many experiences or concepts within the opening paragraph . Instead, try to capture and intrigue the reader to read on. Essentially, introduce yourself as a person, not as a collection of experiences. The admissions team want to know why you’re applying just as much as what you’ve done to develop your skills.

I feel the introduction could be simplified. When I read it back, it feels a bit wordier and more complex than I would have liked. To improve this, I would try to cut down the opening as although it is short, I feel it could be snappier and really entice the reader. It’s good to give the reader a good idea of who you are in your intro, but this can definitely be done in fewer words. Assuming you’ve got a lot to speak about in the rest of your statement, you’re going to want to conserve the word count.  

Paragraph 1

These two paragraphs link very closely together so I have analysed them together. To start the main section of this statement, I introduced a major experience I had that I gained a lot from. From there, rather than listing off various tasks I had done during this time, I reflect on what I learned  and how it relates to me & medicine. I showed a general understanding of the role of doctors in different traditional environments but also in a wider context (holistic). I was also able to introduce my own experiences as a ward clerk. This offers the readers a chance to understand how I work with other people and what I gained from being in the NHS. Reflection is probably the most important you can do in a personal statement, so be sure to discuss how each experience taught you something, no matter how obvious it may seem.

I’d say my biggest strength here is my descriptive language. The reader will likely know what it’s like to be in an environment like the ones I describe, but using storytelling techniques to increase their engagement will help my engagement stand out and become memorable. I’d highly recommend brushing up on your creative writing skills to help make your statement unique.  

I think I could have elaborated on the challenges of working in the NHS during the pandemic further. Although I managed to cover what I did, I think I missed an opportunity to talk about how I often went above and beyond for clinical staff and patients. This is a topic that loads of applicants would have written about, but showing an understanding of its effects does demonstrate a level of awareness of current affairs. It was the biggest medical event in my and many others’ lifetimes, so it makes sense that it would have had a significant effect on my studies and work experience . Beyond this, the quantity of experiences discussed is fairly small, but that’s not really a flaw with the statement as you have to work with what you’ve been able to achieve.  

Paragraph 2

As a graduate, it was important to mention my degree as it has cemented my desire to go for medicine. However, I did not want to just list what I did during my degree. Here, I think choosing a relevant and memorable part of my degree allowed me to showcase my personal academic interests. Further, by blending in my paid employment at a university, I have shown I have an understanding of the wider roles of doctors and how I would be keen to be involved, showing my ambition. Personal statements are as much looking towards what you hope to achieve in the future as they are reflecting on what you’ve achieved in the past.  

I feel that I over-exaggerated the impact of my research in this paragraph. By having phrases like ‘ exciting to be a part of leading research ‘ is probably a bit misleading as I wrote a literature review. I think making bold statements is a risk, especially if you feel you wouldn’t be able to justify said statements in an interview. You should always write your personal statement with the assumption that anything discussed could be mentioned in your interview, because it’s true. Not to mention, the person reading this will likely be well aware of the type of research I’m discussing and will be able to see where I’ve over-exaggerated. If I had to rewrite it, I would consider my wording to be more reflective and accurate to my actual experience.

Paragraph 3

This paragraph is relevant to the side of medicine that has nothing to do with science but the fact we are all humans. Displaying an understanding of this is incredibly important, especially when coming from a more scientific background. It’s easy to forget the skills required to interact with patients in potentially their most vulnerable moments, and I feel I have demonstrated that understanding very well. I think one of the main things I did well here is to include buzzwords ( empathy & sensitivity) in relation to my volunteering experiences . Admissions teams do like to see an understanding of these terms, but it’s also important to use them in a way that actually benefits your writing. Using buzzwords for the sake of it is only going to harm the sincerity of your writing. By using these words appropriately, I am showing commitment and dedication to people in my own time and the profound effect it is having on both them and myself.  

It would have been nice to explore these experiences more, especially as they were heavily patient and people based, an area that I haven’t had much chance to discuss in this statement. I feel that up to this point I have spoken a lot about my professional qualities but I think I could have gone deeper on my personal qualities. However, that is the nature of a personal statement. You’ll never have enough time to write everything you want so compromises have to be made. I felt that my academics and scientific experience were stronger and thus more valuable to speak about.  

Paragraph 4

Finishing things off, this is where I talk about my extracurricular activities . What I think I do well here is relating all of my discussion points back to medicine. Reflection on your own growth is important, but so is reflecting on medicine as a whole and how your experience has helped you develop into a good medical student, especially when the discussion point is not already directly linked to medicine. I also think I avoid making my experiences feel like a list as in this paragraph as I make reference to my academic studies for the third time but introduce a new skill/quality as well.

I would have liked to have further discussed my other extracurricular activities as the paragraph feels quite regimented. Although I talk about work-life balance, the life part feels like it relates to work too much still according to this paragraph, which is the opposite of what I intended here. Again, this paragraph was a victim of the limited word count. The available words were used more effectively in the previous paragraphs, so there’s not much I could have done here. At the end of the day, having too much to write about is the best problem you could have!  

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This is extremely short, but I feel it serves its purpose pretty well. I did not introduce any new experiences or skills or qualities, so I am instead allowing the main body of my personal statement to do the talking. I think by closing the statement in such a way, I have done justice to the content I have written without either drawing out my final thoughts or ending in an abrupt manner.  

To be honest, I have applied to medicine 3 years in a row and my final conclusion has not changed. Although it may not be perfect, for me I would not change it. If I have to give advice on a conclusion, I would say, read your introduction and relate your conclusion to it. Even if it is a repeating of a word or a phrase, allow your PS to come full circle as it will read nicely. Your intro is there to entice readers to go onto the rest of your PS but your conclusion is the last thought so you want it to be short and memorable.

Final Thoughts

I feel there are plenty of good qualities here that make this an effective personal statement. Starting with basic writing techniques, I have used varied sentence openers and highly descriptive language to tell an interesting story. I’ve actively tried to avoid using the same opening in consecutive sentences in order to create a reading experience that does not bore or irritate the reader.  

As for my content, this statement does a good job of blending different experiences together in ways that complement each other. I was able to regularly able to reflect on the different kinds of experiences and the value they have bought in my pursuit of medicine. To top it all off, I feel it’s extremely well structured: the statement is 39 lines on MS word (equivalent to 47 on UCAS) and is regularly split up into paragraphs with distinct topics.

Looking back on it all, various smaller issues build up uncertain places. The whole thing is very wordy at times, where sentences could have been simplified with the language used.  

I think I downplayed some experiences, such as working as a ward clerk during COVID-19 which was incredibly challenging. I think I could have captured that better to show an understanding of the impact of the pandemic, how it affected me and how I overcame it. My other largest issue is the lack of depth in some of my discussions, such as my volunteering and extracurricular activities. Again though, this was mostly down to the word limit. Although everything can always be written a bit more efficiently, I feel that any significant reductions to my strongest paragraphs would only serve to harm them.  

So there you have it! This personal statement helped Ikrah earn his place at Sunderland, which is what counts at the end of the day!

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

Be sure to check out more Medicine Personal Statement Analyses to see advice from all different kinds of applicants, including Ali Abdaal himself! Or if you want to get started on your own statement, check out 6med’s Medicine Mastery Bundle for all the support and resources you’ll ever need for your full application.

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Personal Statement for Medical and Dental Schools

Last updated: 1/8/2024

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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 an essay about yourself.

It’s part of your UCAS application and can be seen by all your universities. It is designed to give admissions tutors an idea of the person behind the application. 

Getting into medical school is a long road and your personal statement is written after much of the journey has already taken place. For this reason, it should be full of what you learnt and reflections.

Read on to find out about:

How is my medicine/dentistry personal statement used?

What are admissions tutors looking for, how is my personal statement marked, how long does the personal statement need to be.

• Personal statement checklist

What shouldn’t I include in my personal statement?

Answering 'why do you want to study medicine or dentistry', when should i start writing my personal statement, how do i structure my personal statement, how do i reflect deeply on my experience in my personal statement, how should i format my personal statement, can i copy an old personal statement i found.

• Do I have to be honest in my personal statement?

Once I’ve written my personal statement, what should I do?

Writing a personal statement for oxford or cambridge.

• Personal statements for graduate entry medicine

Medify’s Medicine and Dentistry Personal Statement Course

• Selection for interview

The personal statement can be used to rank students prior to being selected for interview.

• Getting to know you

Admissions tutors want to understand your motivations for becoming a doctor and why you think they should select you. They will see applications from hundreds of people, so the personal statement is a way for you to stand out.

• Information for interviewers

The personal statement is a resource for interviewers, giving them material for questions about your experiences and activities you’ve mentioned. Need help with reflecting on experiences mentioned in your personal statement during interviews? Check out our UK Interviews Online Course which provides in-depth tutorials and authentic example video responses from real students.

You don’t have to get every single one of these skills down in your personal statement but you should try to mention as many as possible while still making it sound natural and creating flow.

Medical and dental schools will differ in how they mark their personal statements. However, each school’s markers will use fixed marking criteria to ensure applicants are fairly marked, and these will align closely with the core values of the Medical and Dental Schools Councils. This means the marking criteria can be predicted and will generally break down into three overall areas.

• Commitment to the area

They will look at your motivation to study medicine/dentistry, your understanding of medicine/dentistry as a career, and your work experience.

• Aptitude for medicine/dentistry

They will look at your community activities, leadership qualities, evidence of working in a team, and your general interests.

• Academic ability

They will look at your GCSE results, predicted/actual grades, and academic distinctions.

Here’s an example of the marking criteria previously used by University College London for medicine:

Motivation to study medicine

Understanding of medicine as a career

Community activities

Evidence of leadership

Evidence of ability to work in a team

General interest

The limit for your personal statement is 4,000 characters, or 47 lines, whichever comes first. This limit is firm - your application simply can’t be submitted if your personal statement is too long. You really have to make every word count!

For good and bad examples of UCAS personal statements, check out ‘ Medical school personal statement examples ’ or ' Dental school personal statement examples' .

What does a good personal statement for medicine and dentistry contain?

▢ Motivation to study medicine/dentistry

You need to demonstrate why you really want to study your chosen course. This means showing passion and deep reflection, and is most powerful when tied into your personal experience.

▢ Commitment to study medicine/dentistry

You need to show that you’re committed to medicine or dentistry. 5+ years is a long time and medicine/dentistry is a lifelong career. You can show your commitment by discussing extra reading and work experience.

▢ Key personal attributes 

Get a few important attributes into your personal statement, such as communication, teamwork and empathy.

▢ Any work experience

Write about your work experience, what you did, and more importantly, what you learnt from it.

▢ Any voluntary work

Talking about voluntary work is an effective way of showing your empathetic side. 

▢ Academic achievements

Be proud of what you’ve achieved and talk about it, such as how the courses you studied at A-Level or equivalent grew your interest in medicine or dentistry.

▢ Extra reading

Write about books, articles and anything else that you’ve read that fuelled your passion for medicine/dentistry. 

▢ Extracurricular activities

Sometimes this is easy to overlook when you've got a lot of things to fit into your personal statement, but this is important to mention. 

Healthcare careers can be stressful, and admissions tutors want to see that you have stress-release mechanisms in place to help you cope. 

• Descriptions of feelings

Compare ‘I love working with others’ with ‘I visited a care home every day for 2 months to get a feel for the difficulties the elderly face’. The latter is concrete and specific, while the former only uses empty phrases.

• Long, waffling sentences

Long sentences dilute the impact of the message, so keep it short and avoid repetition.

• Sentences like ‘I want to help people...’

This phrase is overused and naive. If you write it, the admissions department will assume you haven’t fully thought about why you want to become a doctor or a dentist. Show, don’t tell.

• Family tradition as a motivation for studying medicine or dentistry

This is not good motivation to study medicine or dentistry. The fact that some members of your family are healthcare professionals will not make you a better doctor or dentist. Universities want applicants with intrinsic motivation. This means showing why medicine or dentistry is right for you and how your skills and attributes are best suited to it.

• Any examples which show immaturity

Don’t write ‘I will be running from one hospital room to another saving lives’. Instead, write about your experience of shadowing a doctor or a dentist and having a realistic understanding of what they do.

• Apologies for low grades/lack of experience

The personal statement is for you to build yourself up. Use your UCAS reference letter , written by someone in authority, to explain any extenuating circumstances.

• Controversial topics

For example, abortion or religion. Your reader might have differing views, and you will put them in a difficult position by forcing them to make a decision based on your personal beliefs rather than your ability to become a doctor.

This is overused and a bit clichéd. It doesn't add anything to your personal statement so it’s best not to include it. 

• Overuse of metaphors and poetic language

Don’t waste characters with expressions like 'My passion for studying dentistry is as boundless as the night sky.' You’re applying to study medicine or dentistry, not English literature, and taking up space with sentences like this suggests that you don’t have enough to say about what's important.

Keep your statement succinct and to the point. It’s perfectly fine to be passionate about medicine or dentistry, but try to show this through your insight and reflection rather than stating it directly.

• Listing achievement after achievement

'I volunteered in my local care home, organised work experience in the ICU of a large hospital, completed my gold Duke of Edinburgh…' Don’t list your achievements. Schools are looking for quality over quantity, so focus on one of these experiences and explore it in more detail. For example, what did you learn about yourself? What skills did you develop? How has your perception changed as a result of this?

Withholding some of your experiences and placements entirely from your statement (if you have more than enough already) means you’ll have more space to focus on the few you choose to include. This will also give you ammunition in your interview that your assessors might not be expecting.

This question is absolutely central to writing your personal statement. Avoid using clichés and give an honest answer. For instance, many students connect this to some childhood event, so you only want to say this if it’s overwhelmingly true and convincing.

Other ideas might be:

• Your love for practical science
• A strong desire to help people
• Work experience that you enjoyed
• Wanting an empathetic career
• An ability to problem solve
• Opportunities for lifelong learning
• A balance of practical and theoretical learning

But don’t just say 'I love practical science.' Prove it, then link it to your chosen career, such as:

'I am part of a science club in which we test hypotheses through experimentation. For example, we tested whether there is a correlation between time spent playing video games and eyesight. This experience taught me how to create and test hypotheses in a systematic way.

'I saw how I could apply these skills during my work experience at a local GP surgery. I witnessed the doctor making a diagnosis, interpreting the test results and adapting their response based on the evidence. I get a lot of intellectual satisfaction from this type of process and the fact that it is in aid of helping others enhances this.'

Good things don’t always come to those who wait. 

Preparing a compelling personal statement takes time and planning. With applications for medicine and dentistry due on 15 October, you should start drafting your personal statement in the summer before Year 13, just after your UCAT exam. It may take several drafts to refine your statement, and the earlier you start, the more time you will have to make improvements.

Personal statements can be hard to write. We have all experienced writer’s block, so start by listing all the things you want to mention and work from there.

Remember, whatever structure you use for your personal statement, make it punchy and memorable.

When reflecting on an experience, ask yourself the following questions:

• What could I have done better?
• What did I learn from this?
• What skills have I developed from this and how?
• How does this relate to the medical/dental field?
• How did my decisions affect the people around me?
• What if I looked at this scenario from another person's perspective, such as that of the patient or the patient’s family?
• Did anything surprise me?

A good model for reflection is the 'What? So What? Now What?' model:

There are no formatting options on the UCAS site. All personal statements will be the same font and size. The only way you can make it different to someone else's is through writing better content, so focus on that.

Reading some example personal statements can be helpful when you’re getting started or are facing writer’s block.

However, remember that all personal statements submitted to UCAS go through a plagiarism checker. If any part of your personal statement is found to be plagiarised, this information will be passed on to the universities you’ve applied to and could result in your disqualification.

Do I have to be honest in my personal statement? 

A tiny white lie that no one will ever discover? Don’t do it. It can be tempting, but don’t. 

Your personal statement isn’t only read by admissions tutors, you may also be asked questions about it in your interview.

It doesn't take much for an interviewer to work out that you’re lying. If you’re found to have lied on your personal statement, your application will be rejected.

You wouldn't lie about your grades on your UCAS form or the school that you went to, so don’t lie in your personal statement.

You should take care in writing and editing your personal statement as there is a lot riding on it. Show it to your teachers for their input and advice. Then rewrite it again and again until you have perfected it.

There is always room for improvement. You should give it to at least two or three people for their input. An English teacher would be helpful for checking your grammar and use of English. 

Your reference writer can be another useful person to proofread your personal statement, as they can fill in the gaps in your application with their reference.

• Pitch and tone ‍

Make sure your pitch and tone are appropriate - your statement should be personal and specific to make you memorable while avoiding the use of abbreviations or slang.  

Imagine you’re the admissions tutor and use our sample marking criteria above to help you. Are you impressed by what you’re reading? If not, then go back and re-draft.

• Print a copy ‍

Keep a copy of your statement close by throughout your application process, even after you have finished and submitted it. Your interviewers can base their questions on your personal statement, so you need to be able to recall what you have written quickly and effectively.

Cecilia, from the University of Liverpool, told us:

‘After writing my personal statement, I gave it to several people I trusted to read it - my parents, close friends and career advisor. 

'I received generally positive feedback. However, since they were people who knew me well, they observed my PS was too rigid and wooden, and my enthusiasm for this career path wasn’t shining through. I scrapped my initial PS, only retaining the salient points which I was confident about. 

'Then, I took a step back and reflected on my work experience more deeply and went on to produce a more heartfelt personal statement which embodied my passion leaps and bounds more than my first version. 

'Needless to say I felt more confident speaking about my experiences during my interview, which was based on the new and improved version of my PS.’

The focus of a personal statement in this case should be academics. Oxford University recommends an 80:20 split between academics and extracurricular activities. 

Don’t just list the qualifications you have, and don’t mention any qualifications you’ve mentioned elsewhere in your UCAS application, like your GCSE grades. 

Talk about:

If you’ve read any books related to medicine, talk about them. Discuss what you learnt, what interested you and your further reading on any topics mentioned in the book. 

Oxford also has a recommended reading list . It’s not compulsory, but if you have the time, read a couple of books from there that interest you.

You can also check out Medify’s top books to read before medical school.

• Work experience

Be sure to take a reflective approach with your work experience. Discuss the personal attributes that you have developed, any specific clinical cases that interest you, as well as any further research you have done.

• Interest beyond the classroom

Discuss how you’ve completed further reading on topics studied at school. You could reflect on how these relate to medicine.

• The selection criteria

Oxford has specific selection criteria, which are as follows:

Addressing attributes from this list will make it clear to admissions tutors that you’re suited to study medicine. Take a look at an admissions tutor’s analysis of a personal statement for medicine .

Personal statements for graduate entry medicine 

Graduate entry medicine (GEM) is extremely competitive, even more than direct entry. You have had more time to build life experience and demonstrate your aptitude for medicine, so your personal statement needs to reflect that.

Differences between direct entry and graduate entry medicine personal statements

As well as demonstrating a motivation for medicine, you need to be able to justify why you’re deciding on medicine now. If you’re coming from an unrelated field like finance, then this becomes especially important. You need to convince tutors that your interest in medicine isn’t just a passing phase.

Having already undertaken a degree, you need to show a deeper level of reflection based on a richer repertoire of experience, as well as a firm understanding of medicine/dentistry as a career and how your personal attributes align. 

• Writing style

The candidates you will be competing with have taken one or more degrees. This means you all have much more experience with formal writing. As a result, it is doubly important that the quality of writing is of a consistently high level with an appropriate style.

• Previous degree and qualifications  

Reflect on your previous degree(s). Discuss what you learnt from it/them and what skills it/they helped you to develop.

Are you prepared for the 15 October UCAS application deadline? Have you perfected your personal statement yet?

Medify’s Personal Statement Course can help you to complete a ready-to-submit personal statement in just three days. You’ll be guided by admissions experts on how to frame your experiences and demonstrate your suitability for medicine or dentistry. You’ll also get access to over 100 personal statement examples.

How do I write my personal statement if I’m an international student?

Here's some key information for international students - you should aim to mention everything discussed on this page. Additionally, you should also talk about why you want to study medicine or dentistry in the UK and how you think that will benefit you. You can also reflect on the differences in healthcare systems between your home country and in the UK.

If I’m taking a gap year, do I need to talk about it in my personal statement?

If you’re deferring your entry so that you can take a gap year, you should mention it in your personal statement. Talk about why you’re taking a gap year, what you’re going to do, and what you hope to learn from it. This will show admissions tutors that you’re an organised individual.

If you’ve already taken a gap year and are now applying, you should mention what you did during your gap year and what you learnt from it. The most important part of all that you write is how you reflect on it.

How many personal statements do I write?

You only write one personal statement, and the same one goes to all the universities you apply to, irrespective of the course. Be careful not to mention anything overly specific, like the name of the medical school you like.

I’m applying to another course as well. Should I do anything differently?

It can be hard to write a personal statement for two separate courses. If medicine or dentistry is really what you want to do then you need to give it your best shot. Focus your application entirely on medicine or dentistry. Sometimes if the rest of your application is strong, you’ll still get an offer from your fifth option.

Should I talk about my grades and qualifications?

You don’t need to mention your qualifications in your personal statement, as you’ll have already mentioned it in another part of your UCAS application. You don’t need to waste your characters repeating information your admissions tutors already know about you.

What’s more important? My personal statement or my UCAT/BMAT?

Different universities give different weights to different parts of your application. Some universities may give a greater weighting to your personal statement, but on the whole your UCAT/BMAT score tends to have a greater impact on your chance of success.

Don’t let that stop you from focusing on your personal statement though. In the case where your interview score, UCAT/ BMAT score and your academics are the same as someone else’s, it could be your personal statement that swings the decision in your favour.

I’m still stuck on how to write my personal statement. What should I do?

It’s perfectly normal to feel stuck when writing your personal statement. Summarising your motivation and life experience in 4,000 characters can be challenging.

Remember, we offer a Personal Statement Course with in-depth tutorials, guidance from admissions experts, and over 100 personal statement examples for just £20.

Lost for words?

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Personal Statement Examples

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Guides & information, useful links & resources.

How To Write a Personal Statement For a Master’s Degree

Learn how to write a compelling personal statement for your master’s degree application. Follow these tips and examples so that you can stand out from the crowd.

What is a personal statement?

A personal statement is a crucial component of your master’s degree application. It allows admissions officers to get a clear picture of who you are – beyond the basic, factual information on your CV. This is a prime opportunity to make a good impression and convey what makes you stand out as a candidate for postgraduate study. The personal statement is your chance to tell your story and provide context to your academic and professional achievements.

What is the purpose of a personal statement?

Admissions officers use the personal statement to determine if you are a good fit for the course you’re applying for. They want to see a genuine interest and commitment to the subject, along with the necessary skills and qualifications. They will be asking themselves three key questions when reading your statement:

• Can you demonstrate a keen interest in the subject?
• Do you have the necessary skills and qualifications?
• Have you shown how this course is relevant to your long-term goals?

Before writing your personal statement, it’s essential to answer these three questions yourself by creating a bullet point list for each one. It’s important to consider at this stage how you would provide evidence of your interest, capabilities, and aspirations to someone who doesn’t know you.

Give yourself plenty of time to sit and think about the answers to these questions and try to list as many solid examples as you can. It’s not enough to simply tell the admissions officer that you’re passionate about the subject – they will assume that this is the case for anyone who applies! You need to actually provide evidence of your interest.

Your answers to these questions will guide you and keep you focused as you write the bulk of your statement. Reflecting on these questions will also help you to understand your own motivations and ensure that you are making the right choice for your future. If you are clear in your own mind about what you want to study and why, it will be much easier to convince someone else of the same.

In addition to answering these questions, it’s a good idea to check if there are any personal statement how-to guides or tips on how to write a personal statement provided by the institution and specific department you’re applying to. These will provide a helpful starting point with reliable information on how to craft your master’s application .

How to structure a personal statement

First paragraph.

Begin with a brief introduction. Get straight to the point: who you are and why you’re applying.

• Who : Mention what you’re currently studying or doing and where. This sets the context and gives the admissions officers a snapshot of your current status.
• Why : Refer back to your answers to the three key questions—your interest, capability, and motivations. This will lay the foundation for the rest of your statement.

For example, you might say: “ I am studying Politics at University College London, where my coursework and debate society involvement have fueled my interest in international relations. I am applying to this Master’s program to pursue a career in global policy development.”

Next, explain why you’re interested in this course at this particular institution. Be specific and show you’ve researched the course and university extensively.

You should mention specific modules that have caught your eye and particular academics you’re interested in working with. Find out their areas of interest and read some of their published work. Demonstrating that you’ve done your homework shows your commitment and genuine interest in the program.

For example, if you are applying for a Master’s in Environmental Science, you might mention a particular module on climate change policy that aligns with your career goals or a professor whose research on sustainable agriculture has inspired you. This level of detail can make your statement stand out and show that you are a thoughtful and informed candidate.

This is the time to address each of those three key questions in detail.

Demonstrate a keen interest in the subject

• Share what sparked your initial desire to pursue a Master’s in this subject. Was it a particular experience, an undergraduate module, or a personal passion that led you to this field? Providing a narrative can make your statement more engaging.
• Explain how you’ve pursued your interest outside of academia. This could be through clubs and societies you’ve joined, books and articles you’ve read, or even podcasts you enjoy listening to. Highlighting your extracurricular activities shows that your interest goes beyond the classroom and that you are proactive in seeking knowledge.
• Show your knowledge of the relevant issues in the field. Discuss any current events, trends, or challenges in the field that you are passionate about. This demonstrates that you are well informed and engaged with the subject matter.

For instance, if you are applying for a Master’s in International Relations, you could discuss your participation in a Model United Nations club, your internship at a foreign embassy, or your avid reading of international policy journals. These examples illustrate your active engagement with the field.

Evidence of necessary skills and qualifications

• Academic Career : Avoid simply stating results. Instead, highlight specific skills you acquired. Mention relevant essays and projects. If you’ve never received any Bachelor’s qualifications, it is still possible to apply for a Master’s without a Bachelor’s .
• Experience : Discuss extracurricular activities, work experience, internships, professional achievements, life experiences, hobbies, and interests. Highlight specific relevant experiences that showcase your capabilities.

For example, if you are applying for a Master’s in Business Administration, you could discuss your role in a student business club, your internship at a marketing firm, and a successful project you led that demonstrates your leadership and analytical skills. Providing concrete examples of your achievements and experiences makes your statement more compelling and credible.

Relevance to your long-term goals

By this point, you should have painted a vivid picture of your journey so far and why it has brought you here, applying for this course. Make it clear that this course is a stepping stone to your future, the next phase in a journey that you’ve already mapped out for yourself.

Discuss your long-term career goals and how this course will help you achieve them. Be specific about the skills and knowledge you hope to gain and how they will be applied in your future career. This shows that you have a clear vision and that this program is an integral part of your career path.

For example, if you are applying for a Master’s in Public Health, you might discuss your goal to work in global health policy, how the program’s focus on epidemiology will provide you with the necessary skills, and your aspiration to work with international health organisations to combat infectious diseases. This demonstrates that you have a well-thought-out plan and that the program is a crucial part of your career trajectory.

You don’t want the admissions officer reading your application to think you’ve applied simply because you weren’t sure what else to do after graduating .

End with a short paragraph that provides a succinct summary of your statement. Highlight why you would be an excellent student and an asset to their institution in a sentence or two. This final impression should reinforce your enthusiasm and suitability for the program.

For instance, you could say: “With my background in environmental science, my passion for sustainable development, and my proven research skills, I am confident that I will contribute significantly to your program and thrive in the academic environment at [University Name].”

Top tips on how to write a personal statement for a master’s degree

Before you submit, be sure to do the following:

• Check spelling and grammar meticulously. Errors can detract from your professionalism and attention to detail.
• Ask a friend or family member to read over your statement. A fresh set of eyes can catch mistakes and provide valuable feedback.
• Ensure it meets any specific criteria mentioned in the application form. Tailoring your statement to each institution’s requirements shows that you are diligent and attentive.

What to avoid

• Exceeding the Word Limit : Never go over the word limit. If unspecified, aim for no longer than one page of A4 or around 500 words, unless they ask for more. Being concise and to the point is crucial.
• Clichés : Avoid phrases like “Ever since I was a child…”, as these can make your statement sound generic and insincere. Instead of overused words like passionate , try “keen interest” or “strong affinity”.
• Using AI : It’s okay for guidance, but remember it’s supposed to be personal. Authenticity is key.
• Repeating Your CV : Avoid reiterating what’s already in other parts of your application. Your personal statement should add depth and context, not duplicate information.
• Using the Same Statement for Different Applications : Each statement should be specifically tailored to each institution, even if the content may be similar.

Final thoughts on how to write a personal statement for a master’s degree

You should now have a clear idea on how to write a personal statement for a masters degree. By following this guide, taking the time to carefully craft your personal statement will pay off by providing admissions officers with a vivid picture of who you are and why you are the ideal candidate for their program.

Further advice and tips on how to plan your future and navigate your career after graduating can be found on the Graduate Coach blog . If you’re uncertain about the next steps and feel that you need further guidance, they offer comprehensive career coaching services aimed at ensuring you reach your full potential after university.

Featured photo by Katerina Holmes from Pexels

Written by Alice Janusz

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Medicine BM4 Graduate Entry (BMBS)

Medicine BM4 Graduate Entry (BMBS) starting September 2023 for 4 years

About this course

You will study medicine over 4 years and draw on your existing knowledge and experience to train to be a doctor. You'll be part of a small group of graduates embarking on this intensive but rewarding programme. You'll get clinical experience from the first weeks of your course, meeting patients in hospital and primary care settings.

This graduate entry medicine degree is designed to support graduates to achieve excellent learning outcomes over 4 years instead of the usual 5. You can apply with any 2:1 degree or equivalent qualification, including arts and humanities degrees.

We offer a number of places to this BM4 programme for graduates from the University of Southampton. Applicants must meet both the non-academic and academic criteria for this programme.

As part of your course, you can take your final-year elective placement anywhere in the UK or abroad. You can also get involved in research and entrepreneurship . We work on life-changing treatments and therapies in partnership with industry and with experts in the physical sciences, computing, engineering and mathematics. 

You'll meet patients in clinical settings and will learn from volunteer patients, simulated environments and prepared patient cases. 

In years 1 and 2, students will be placed in partner trusts including Winchester as well as Southampton. In the final 2 years of the programme, students are placed across the Wessex region. 

We regularly review our courses to ensure and improve quality. This course may be revised as a result of this. Any revision will be balanced against the requirement that the student should receive the educational service expected. Find out why, when, and how we might make changes .

Our courses are regulated in England by the Office for Students (OfS).

Accreditations

General Medical Council (GMC)

Learn more about this subject area.

Course location

This course is based at Highfield .

Awarding body

This qualification is awarded by the University of Southampton.

Download the Course Description Document

The Course Description Document details your course overview, your course structure and how your course is taught and assessed.

Entry requirements

For academic year 202526, eligibility criteria.

Applicants must be 18 or over at the start of the course. Only Home students are eligible, International applicants must apply to BM5. Applicants must meet the Degree and GCSE academic entry requirements listed below. All applicants must sit the UCAT test before the 15th October UCAS deadline. Applicants must take UCAT in the year they are applying.

Graduate applicants (for BM4 and BM5) are required to achieve an Upper Second-Class Honours (2.1) in their first degree, this must be equivalent to a UK Honours degree. The degree can be in any subject and no preference will be given to applicants based on the subject taken. Please note we do not have any A Level requirements for graduate applicants (for BM4 and BM5). Please see below for GCSE requirements.

Other requirements

• UK students
• Other ways to qualify

GCSE requirements

Graduate applicants (for BM4 and BM5) must hold 4 GCSEs at grade C/4 or above, including English language, mathematics and either biology and chemistry, combined science, or science and additional science.

Find the  equivalent international qualifications  for our entry requirements.

English language requirements

If English isn't your first language, you'll need to complete an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to demonstrate your competence in English. You'll need all of the following scores as a minimum:

IELTS score requirements

We accept other English language tests. Find out which English language tests we accept.

You might meet our criteria in other ways. Find out more about our Admissions Policy .

Non-academic entry requirements

UCAT All applicants must take the University clinical aptitude test (UCAT) prior to the 15th October medicine application deadline. Please visit ucat.ac.uk for further details about the test. Selection to Interview All applicants who meet the academic entry requirements through either achieved or predicted grades at the point of application are ranked by UCAT score and the top number of applicants invited to interview. Please see the ''How to apply'' tab for further interview details. Non- academic Entry requirements In addition to academic entry requirements, the selectors will look for evidence of non- academic criteria during the selection process. At interview applicants must be able to show they; • Are self -motivated and resilient • Have reflected on and learnt from life experiences (this may include work experience, paid employment and personal experiences both in and outside health and social care settings) • Can communicate effectively • Are able to interact successfully with others • Can demonstrate an understanding of the values of the NHS Constitution Offers Offers are made based on interview performance. UCAT will be used post interview if there is a tie between applicants selection day scores. Additional Requirements If you are offered a place after attending an interview you will need to meet the following requirements along with any academic conditions: Certificates Supply official copies of certificates for all completed qualifications listed in your offer. Health Clearance Occupational Health Completion and confirmation of a satisfactory health screening, including confirmation of appropriate vaccinations, will be a condition of all offers. All students must comply with the vaccination requirements of the programme which must be met in order to undertake placements. The list of vaccinations required is updated by the NHS and may change over the course of your programme. DBS All incoming students will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) as part of the induction process. This is a legal requirement for those involved in contact with children or vulnerable adults.

For Academic year 202425

Applicants must be 18 or over at the start of the course. Only Home students are eligible, International applicants must apply to BM5. Applicants must meet the Degree and GCSE academic entry requirements listed below. All applicants must sit the UCAT test before the 16th October UCAS deadline. Applicants must take UCAT in the year they are applying.

Graduate applicants (for BM4 and BM5) are required to achieve an Upper Second-Class Honours (2.1) in their first degree, this must be equivalent to a UK honours degree. The degree can be in any subject and no preference will be given based on the subject taken. Please note we do not have any A Level requirements for graduate applicants (for BM4 and BM5). Please see below for GCSE requirements.

UCAT All applicants must take the University clinical aptitude test (UCAT) prior to the 16th October medicine application deadline. Please visit ucat.ac.uk for further details about the test. Selection to Interview All applicants who meet the academic entry requirements through either achieved or predicted grades at the point of application are ranked by UCAT score and the top number invited to interview. Please see the ''How to apply'' tab for further interview details. Non- academic Entry requirements In addition to academic entry requirements, the selectors will look for evidence of non- academic criteria during the selection process. At interview applicants must be able to show they; • Are self -motivated and resilient • Have reflected on and learnt from life experiences (this may include work experience, paid employment and personal experiences both in and outside health and social care settings) • Can communicate effectively • Are able to interact successfully with others • Can demonstrate an understanding of the values of the NHS Constitution Additional Requirements If you are offered a place after attending an interview you will need to meet the following requirements. Health Clearance Occupational Health Completion and confirmation of a satisfactory health screening, including confirmation of appropriate vaccinations, will be a condition of all offers. All students must comply with the vaccination requirements of the programme which must be met in order to undertake placements. The list of vaccinations required is updated by the NHS and may change over the course of your programme. DBS All incoming students will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) as part of the induction process. This is a legal requirement for those involved in contact with children or vulnerable adults.

Got a question?

Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.

Email:  [email protected] Tel:  +44(0)23 8059 5000

Course structure

The 4 years of the programme are described as years 1, 2, 4 and 5.  This is because BM4 students undertake a four-year programme. Years 1 and 2 are taught independently of the BM5 and BM6 programmes and the final 2 years are taught alongside years 4 and 5 of BM5 and BM6.

Over the first 2 years, your learning will be focused on a series of clinical topics. You'll work in graduate groups to apply problem-solving skills, with the help of a facilitator. From year 4 onwards, you'll study the same curriculum as students taking the 5-year degree.

You'll get clinical experience from the first weeks of your course. This may involve some weekend and evening working.

You must pass all the course modules to progress to the next stage and graduate.

Year 1 overview

BM4 phase 1

The first 18 months of the course are made up of 4 university semesters. You'll develop your understanding of the role of a doctor as a practitioner and a professional. From the beginning, you'll meet patients and learn in the context of primary medical care and hospital-based medicine.

You'll cover a series of clinical topics, taking placements, lectures and practical sessions. Your understanding of clinical practice will integrate:

• biomedical science, including anatomy, molecular biology and pharmacology
• health science
• social, legal and ethical aspects of clinical practice
• your own knowledge and life experience

Full-time clinical attachments start after Christmas in year 2, when you'll undertake placements in medicine, surgery and primary care. 

Year 2 overview

You'll complete BM4 phase 1.

Year 3 overview

This course has no year 3.

Year 4 overview

Phase 3: Developing Clinical Practice

This phase takes place through year 4 over 37 weeks. It continues through the first half of year 5 and ends with the year 5 exams. During this phase your studies and clinical practice will include the following modules:

• child health
• clinical ethics and law
• speciality weeks (neurology, dermatology, head and neck and ophthalmology)
• obstetrics and gynaecology and genitourinary medicine

In year 5, in the 24 week placement leading up to finals, you will have clinical placements in medicine, surgery and primary care. You can also choose to complete a fourth student selected unit. 

Year 5 overview

You'll continue with phase 3: Developing Clinical Practice, and move into phase 4.

Phase 4: Preparing for Independent Practice

After finals you will undertake an elective: an 8-week placement abroad or in the UK. You will also complete an assistantship module where you will shadow a Foundation doctor for 2 weeks each in Medicine and Surgery. This will prepare you for entering the Foundation programme as a newly qualified doctor in August. 

Want more detail?  See all the modules in the course.

The modules outlined provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. As a research-led University, we undertake a continuous review of our course to ensure quality enhancement and to manage our resources. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand. Find out why, when and how we might make changes .

Year 1 modules

You must study the following modules in year 1:

BM4 Y1 Foundations of Medicine

The BM4 course in years 1 and 2 is a highly contextualised and integrated course in which the application of knowledge and understanding, clinical skills and professional practice applicable to medicine are learned through clinical topic weeks in which st...

Clinical Medicine 1

Integration of knowledge and clinical medicine 1.

The BM4 course in years 1 and 2 is a highly contextualised and integrated course in which the application of knowledge and understanding, clinical skills and professional practice applicable to medicine are learnt through clinical topic weeks, in which st...

Year 2 modules

You must study the following modules in year 2:

Clinical Medicine 2

Foundations of medicine 2, integration of knowledge and clinical medicine 2, medicine, surgery and primary care.

The BM4 course in years 1 and 2 is a highly contextualised and integrated course in which the application of knowledge and understanding, clinical skills and professional practice applicable to medicine are learned through clinical topic weeks in the firs...

Year 4 modules

You must study the following modules in year 4:

Specialty Weeks (Dermatology, Head & Neck, Neurosciences & Ophthalmology)

This module focuses on the dermatology, neurosciences, ophthalmology and head & neck knowledge and understanding, practitioner and professional skills required of an F1 doctor, and the assessments within this module will focus on these areas. The BM p...

This module focuses on the Acute Care knowledge and understanding, practitioner and professional skills required of an F1 doctor, and the assessments within this module will focus on these areas. The BM programmes are however highly contextualised and ...

Child Health

This module focuses on the Child Health knowledge and understanding, practitioner and professional skills required of an F1 doctor, and the assessments within this module will focus on these areas. The BM programmes are however highly contextualised an...

Medical Ethics & Law

This module will run throughout the year with a variety of activities occurring during the placements of other clinical modules in year 4. Teaching will take place within the clinical module placement hours. This module focuses on developing the critical ...

Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Genitourinary Medicine (O and G and GUM)

This module focuses on the Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Genitourinary Medicine ( for BM(EU) also Urology) knowledge, understanding and professional skills required of an F1 doctor, and the assessments within this module will focus on these areas. The ...

This module focuses on the Psychiatry knowledge and understanding, practitioner and professional skills required of an F1 doctor, and the assessments within this module will focus on these areas. The BM programmes are however highly contextualised and...

Year 4 Applied Knowledge Test (AKT)

This is a synoptic assessment module that comprises the two MCQ Papers at the end of the year along with revision sessions that help prepare students for this assessment. The BM programmes are highly contextualised and integrated programmes in which t...

Year 5 modules

You must study the following modules in year 5:

Data Interpretation & Summarisation Assessment (Final)

This module is a synoptic assessment module incorporating all previous modules in the programme and together with the other 3 assessment modules constitutes ‘Finals’. This module comprises the data interpretation and summarisation component of ‘Finals’...

Applied Knowledge Assessment (Final)

This module is a synoptic assessment module incorporating all previous modules in the programme and constitutes the Applied Knowledge Assessment (AKT) component of ‘Finals’. This module comprises the Applied Knowledge Assessment (currently MCQ format...

Assistantship

The Student Assistantship is a four week clinical placement undertaken in the last six months of Final Year. It is a transitional bridge to prepare students for practicing as competent Foundation Doctors. The module will normally take the format of a 4...

Clinical Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA) (Final)

This module comprises the clinical professional skills assessment (CPSA) component of ‘Finals’ along with revision sessions. The CPSA module is aligned to the proposed plans for the MLA, and will be updated as the GMC defined key performance indicators ar...

This module provides the students with the opportunity to gain experience in different health, social or community care settings which can be in the UK or abroad - in accordance with prevailing University and Foreign-Commonwealth Office travel guidance. ...

Medicine (Final)

This module provides the students with the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes which are necessary to practice in Medicine as a newly qualified doctor. This module builds on earlier Medicine attachments and the Acute Care and Ethics...

Personal Professional Development

The module is ‘nested’, running alongside clinical attachments in Medicine and Surgery, Primary Medical Care and SSU4. It provides students with the opportunity to translate the Duties of a Doctor into day to day clinical practice in a variety of settings...

Primary Medical Care (Final)

This module focuses on the knowledge and understanding, practitioner and professional skills required of a newly qualified doctor in Primary Care, and the assessments within this module will focus on these areas. The BM programmes are however highly c...

Student Selected Unit 4

The Selected Unit allow students to develop skills and experience in any clinical postgraduate speciality provided within the final year training centres. The module will normally take the format of a 3 week placement in one or more of our University o...

Surgery (Final)

This module provides the students with the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes which are necessary to practice in Surgery as a newly qualified doctor. This module builds on earlier Surgical attachments and the Acute Care and Ethics ...

Workplace Based Assessment (Final)

This module is a synoptic assessment module incorporating all previous modules in the programme and together with the other 3 assessment modules constitutes ‘Finals’. This module comprises Workplace Based Assessment (WpBA) component of Finals. This in...

Learning and assessment

The learning activities for this course include the following:

• classes and tutorials
• independent learning (studying on your own)

Course time

How you'll spend your course time:

Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 1:

How we'll assess you

• oral presentations
• written and practical exams
• placement assessment

Your assessment breakdown

Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 2:

Academic support

You’ll be supported by a personal academic tutor and have access to a senior tutor.

Course leader

Benjamin Chadwick is the course leader.

With a medical degree from Southampton, you'll have excellent career prospects. All of our students are in work or further study within 6 months of completing their degree.

At the end of the course you will be qualified to register with the GMC and apply for a Foundation Year 1 post. Most of our graduates do this. Learn more about the Foundation scheme and what happens after graduation.

At the end of the undergraduate course you will have the following qualifications: a Bachelor of Medical Science (BMedSc) and a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (BMBS) degree, which is a primary medical qualification (PMQ). Holding a PMQ means you can apply to work in the NHS. 

Our graduates go on to work in a wide range of medical careers including:

• accident and emergency
• anaesthetics
• armed forces medicine
• general practitioner (GP)
• gynaecology
• hospital medicine specialties
• medical research
• orthopaedics
• paediatrics
• primary care
• public health

You'll be supported by your personal academic tutor who can advise you on your career path throughout your course.

Careers services at Southampton

We are a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022). Our Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise team will support you. This support includes:

• work experience schemes
• CV and interview skills and workshops
• networking events
• careers fairs attended by top employers
• a wealth of volunteering opportunities
• study abroad and summer school opportunities

We have a vibrant entrepreneurship culture and our dedicated start-up supporter, Futureworlds , is open to every student.

Fees, costs and funding

Tuition fees.

Fees for a year's study:

• UK students pay £9,250.
• This course is not available to EU and international students.

Your fees will remain the same each year from when you start studying this course. This includes if you suspend and return.

What your fees pay for

Your tuition fees pay for the full cost of tuition and all examinations.

Find out how to:

• pay your tuition fees
• calculate your student finances

You will be responsible for paying certain costs not covered by the tuition fee. These include:

• vaccinations and immunisation
• £100 per year towards travel costs associated with clinical placements
• medical insurance if you choose to do an elective in another country

Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. There may also be extra costs for retake and professional exams.

• accommodation costs
• living costs
• budgeting advice
• fees, charges, and expenses regulations  

Bursaries, scholarships and other funding

If you're a UK or EU student and your household income is under £25,000 a year, you may be able to get a University of Southampton bursary to help with your living costs. Find out about bursaries and other funding we offer at Southampton.

If you're a care leaver or estranged from your parents, you may be able to get a specific bursary .

Get in touch for advice about student money matters .

Scholarships and grants

You may be able to get a  scholarship  or grant to help fund your studies.

We award scholarships and grants for travel, academic excellence, or to students from under-represented backgrounds.

Support during your course

The Student Services Centre offers support and advice on money to students. You may be able to access our Student Support fund and other sources of financial support during your course.

When you apply use:

• UCAS course code: A101
• UCAS institution code: S27

Apply for this course

What happens after you apply?

We’ll assess your application on the strength of your:

• predicted or actual grades
• University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) scores
• performance at a selection day

Please note: your reference is not used as part of the selection process, but you must provide it as part of your application.

Selection days

We rank applicants by UCAT score and invite the top candidates to one of our selection days.

We offer a number of interview places to the BM4 programme for graduates from the University of Southampton.

The selection day process includes an interview and a group task. At the interview, we draw on the information you gave us in your application personal statement .

During the selection process you must show how you meet our non-academic criteria by demonstrating that you:

• are self-motivated and resilient
• have reflected on relevant life experiences
• can communicate effectively
• can interact successfully with others
• understand the values of the NHS constitution

Selection day invitations

If you’re invited to attend, we’ll email you full event details beforehand.

Applicants will be invited to attend 2 to 3 weeks before the selection day.

We're unable to offer an alternative date to the one on your invitation. However, if another applicant cancels their place, we sometimes send invitations with a shorter notice period.

Selection day dates

Selection days take place in Southampton between January and March each year. You must attend your interview in person.

Dates for the 2025 Selection days will be available in Autumn 2024. 

Application decision

We aim to respond to you by the end of March with a decision about your application.

Offers are made based on Selection day performance. Where selection days scores are tired we may use UCAT as a determining factor between candidates.   

Selection Policy

Download our full selection policy for 2025 entry (ODT, 84KB)

Inside Uni Medicine   

Inside Uni Medicine is a new free resource. It's supported by the Medical Schools Council and NHS England and delivered in partnership with Inside Uni; a community of students sharing advice on applying to university.  It gives advice from current students sharing their tips for applicants on applying to university including students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Equality and diversity

We treat and select everyone in line with our  Equality and Diversity Statement .

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Medicine Personal Statement

Get advice on your Medicine Personal Statement, including what to include, how to structure it, and how you can get help with this vital part of your application.

• Learn what a Medicine Personal Statement is
• Understand how long it needs to be
• Find out what it should include
• Discover how to structure your Personal Statement
• Explore how to get help with it

Jump to Section

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

Medicine Personal Statement Examples

• How Medical Schools Use Your Personal Statement
• How to Structure a Personal Statement
• How to Write a Personal Statement
• Personal Statement Review Service
• Interview Guide
• Interview Questions
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• Graduate Entry
• Studying Abroad
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Your Personal Statement for Medicine is your chance to tell Medical Schools why you want to study Medicine and become a Doctor. With a successful Medicine Personal Statement, you’ll really stand out from the pool of other applicants.

What is a Medicine Personal Statement?

Your Personal Statement supports your UCAS Application. It’s designed to help Medical Schools choose the best candidates.

It gives you the chance to tell Admissions Tutors about the skills or qualities you have that are relevant to studying Medicine and being a Doctor – and write about your motivation to study Medicine .

Have a look at our Medicine Personal Statement examples from current Medical School students to get an understanding of the content and structure.

How Important Is It?

Medical Schools use Personal Statements in different ways.

You’ll find that some Medical Schools won’t pay much attention to it, while some will use it to shortlist candidates for interview . Some will also use it to form the basis of interview questions , so make sure your PS is interview-proof and doesn’t include anything you can’t justify or elaborate on.

If a Medical School is struggling to decide between two candidates, they may use the Personal Statement as a deciding factor.

You can learn more in our guide to how Medical Schools use your Personal Statement .

Make Sure You Stand Out

Get The Best Personal Statement Advice

How Long Should My Personal Statement Be?

Your Medicine Personal Statement needs to be 4,000 characters – which is around 500 words – over 47 lines.

What Should My Personal Statement Include?

Medicine Personal Statements should cover the following elements, so that Medical Schools can get to know you.

• Motivation — Why do you want to study Medicine and become a Doctor?
• Exploration — What have you done to learn about Medicine? For example: work experience , volunteering , wider reading or research
• Suitability — Why are you a good fit for Medicine?

Reflection should be a big part of your PS. When you’re writing it, don’t just list your work experience placements, academic achievements and extracurricular activities — reflect on key learning points and link everything back to qualities that are important for Medicine.

For more specific advice about what to include when you’re applying for Graduate Entry Medicine, check out this blog .

What Should My Personal Statement NOT Include?

When you’re writing your Personal Statement, try to keep it concise and avoid unnecessary information. After all, you only have a limited number of words!

Some common PS mistakes include:

• Giving a generic or clich éd reason for wanting to become a Doctor
• Writing about what you did for work experience, without offering any reflections on what you actually learned from the experience
• Claiming that you have a certain quality (e.g. empathy ) without backing it up
• Listing all of the extracurricular activities you do, without mentioning the skills they helped you to develop which are relevant to Medicine

Of course, it’s also important to check your PS for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Get it checked by someone else for a second opinion too.

When Should I Start Writing My Personal Statement?

Personal Statements need to be submitted before the UCAS deadline, which is typically a date in October for Medicine.

Don’t leave it until the last minute! It’s a good idea to start working on it during the summer break – perhaps after you’ve got your UCAT out of the way. If you leave it all until September or October, remember that you’ll be writing it alongside A-Level work and BMAT revision if you’re planning to sit the BMAT.

Start by reading some Medicine Personal Statement examples for inspiration. Then note down everything you can think of to cover your Motivation, Exploration and Suitability for Medicine. Perhaps check this content plan with someone like a parent to see if you’ve missed out anything important. After you have a clear plan, you can start writing your first draft.

How Should I Structure My Personal Statement?

The structure of your Personal Statement is a matter of personal preference, but we advise you to follow a format that covers the following points:

• Why you want to study Medicine and become a Doctor (Motivation)
• Work experience and/or volunteering – and what you learned from it (Exploration)
• Wider reading and study beyond your school curriculum (Exploration)
• Skills from extracurricular activities which are relevant to a Doctor’s skill set, e.g. leadership skills, communication skills, teamwork, etc (Suitability)
• Conclusion (Motivation)

The Ultimate UCAS Support

Make Your Application Amazing

What Is Changing In The Future?

UCAS has announced that Personal Statements will be changing in the future. To make the writing process more structured, there are plans to provide applicants with a series of questions to answer.

These questions have not been confirmed yet, but UCAS says they are likely to cover areas such as:

• Motivation for the course
• Preparation for the course through learning and through other experiences
• Preparedness for student life
• Preferred learning styles
• Extenuating circumstances

According to UCAS, the changes will be introduced no earlier than 2024, for candidates applying for 2025 entry. Find out more here.

How Can I Get Help?

Getting feedback on your Personal Statement for Medical School is incredibly important.

You could ask a relative to read it, give you feedback on how it reads, and let you know if you’ve forgotten any big accomplishments that they can remember. Another option is to ask a friend or a teacher to have a read and tell you if it makes sense and gives a good impression.

You might also like to get professional help with your medical Personal Statement, since it’s such an important piece of writing.

Of course it’s important that you write it yourself, but getting advice and getting it reviewed can be incredibly beneficial. Some of the best options include:

• Get a Personal Statement Review by an Admissions Tutor
• Join a Personal Statement Workshop to get help crafting an excellent statement
• Focus on one-to-one help with Personal Statement Tutoring for your Medical School application

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UCAS Application Packages

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Personal Statement Review

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

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

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How to Craft an Excellent MD Residency Personal Statement

Your residency is a critical step on the road to becoming a board-certified physician. Unsurprisingly, the  residency matching process  is incredibly competitive. Program directors look for candidates who have demonstrated excellent academic performance, boast a strong academic record as well as great USMLE scores, and are supported by impressive letters of recommendation.

Before you have a medical residency interview , you can write an impactful personal statement. It is the perfect opportunity to catch a residency program director’s eye. We share some tips from an St. George’s University School of Medicine Alumni and their tips for how to craft a strong residency personal statement.

Physician-approved tips for writing a great residency personal statement

The National Resident Matching Program’s (NRMP)  2024 Program Director Survey  indicates that a candidate’s personal statement for medical residency is among the most important criteria program directors consider when reviewing applications.

Many programs begin filtering candidates by USLME scores, which essentially leaves everyone on a level playing field at that point. You’ll want to craft an eye-catching personal statement to help you stand out in the crowd. Follow these tips for doing just that:

1. Express your individuality

You can demonstrate your academic excellence by offering evidence of a strong medical school performance and a solid USMLE score. However, your residency personal statement offers the opportunity to give program directors a more complete picture of who you are as an individual.

This essay is a chance to highlight what sets you apart from other applicants, so it’s important to go beyond simply listing your achievements. These items will already be included in your curriculum vitae (CV) , so it won’t help admissions committees learn anything new about you.

It’s also smart to ensure that any of the experiences or extracurricular activities you do write about in your personal statement are true interests of yours. Dr. Natasha Sriraman, pediatrician and St. George’s University (SGU) graduate, notes that review committees can tell when you’re not being genuine.

“Don’t do things because you think it’s going to look good,” she advises. “Do things that you’re passionate about.”

2. Demonstrate your interest in the specialty

By the time you reach medical residency, you should have a solid idea of the medical specialty you’re want pursue. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to focus on why you are drawn to that specialty in your residency personal statement.

Be sure to do this in a way that is true to your personal passions rather than providing generic, surface-level motivations. For example, Dr. Sriraman says she’s come across too many candidates applying to pediatrics programs who say they love of working with children. “We all like kids,” she jokes. “That’s not a reason to go into this field of medicine.”

Instead, she suggests sharing an anecdote from an experience you had that influenced your decision to pursue that area of practice. This example could be a recent encounter during clinical rotations, a string of interactions with a particular instructor, or even something that happened prior to your time in medical school. By making a logical connection with you education and practical experience, review committees will have a better understanding of how your experiences will contribute to your success as a physician.

3.Address any potential concerns head-on

It can be uncomfortable to feel like you have any sort of blemish on your CV. But rather than shying away from a bad semester or a mysterious gap in your education, you can use your personal statement as an opportunity to elaborate on what was going on in your life at that time.

Putting academic issues or delays into context can make a big difference. It demonstrates that you possess levels of self-awareness and personal responsibility that can be pretty crucial when practicing medicine.

Furthermore, omitting issues in your personal statement doesn’t mean you can avoid addressing them—if you make it to the next phase of the application process, you can expect these topics to come up in your medical residency interview s. “While it is important to address this gap within your personal statement, I also advise medical students to practice what they’re going to verbally say when asked about the gap during the interview,” Dr. Sriraman says.

4. Be thoughtful about the structure

The Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) helps streamline the process of  applying to residency programs . They do provide ERAS application information and webinars, but the user guide can be pretty vague about the content when it comes to the personal statement for residency. As long as you structure your essay with an introduction, a middle section, and a conclusion, how you choose to arrange your personal statement is really up to you. What’s most important is that you’re able to keep your readers interested.

If you’re unsure of where to begin, apply the same approach you would with a paper in high school or college. Create an outline to help organize your thoughts, building a logical progression of ideas and experiences. While the parameters around the structure of your residency personal statement are loose, it is a common best practice to limit it to one page in length.

5. Don’t forget to edit and proofread

It’s often helpful to employ an iterative process when drafting this essay. Start by getting everything out on paper. Then go back and begin whittling your story down to include only the most important pieces.

Once you’re happy with how you’ve articulated your experiences and aspirations, it’s smart to enlist some outside opinions. Having a trusted mentor, instructor, or classmate read through your personal statement can be helpful, as they’re familiar with the inner workings of the medical field.

In addition, feedback from people from more casual acquaintances can help you collect objective opinions based solely on your writing. And be sure to have any strong writers or editors you know proofread your essay because even the smallest errors could make a big statement about your focus or attention to detail. Students at SGU have the advantage of submitting their personal statements to be edited by physicians who are residency mentors.

6. Give yourself enough time

Given how many elements you need to complete for residency applications, you’ll be doing yourself a huge favor by starting your personal statement with plenty of time to spare. Even if you consider yourself a fast writer, it’s smart to be proactive. In fact, it’s often recommended to spend at least two months working on this essay.

“Between taking exams, finishing your applications, and regular life, you want to give yourself two to three months,” Dr. Sriraman specifies. Giving yourself extra time allows you to progress through the multiple phases of writing and editing without feeling rushed.

Start writing your residency success story

You don’t have to be a seasoned writer to pen an effective residency personal statement. With some careful planning, thoughtful phrasing, and a thorough review process, you can write an essay that will make program directors take notice.

Your personal statement for residency could end up being the factor that helps you secure a coveted interview invitation. These face-to-face meetings will be the final stage that allows program directors to determine if you’d be a good fit for their residency positions.

Get ready to put your best foot forward in those conversations by reviewing the advice in our article “ Residency Interview Preparation Tips for Medical Students. ”

Ready to start your medical school journey?

Are you considering St. George’s University Medical School? If you need any more convincing, just reach out to some graduates or current students. They’re happy to tell you what their experiences were like.

If you feel like SGU could be the right medical school for you, take the next step. Continue your research by visiting our request information page.

*This article was originally published in 2019. It has since been updated to reflect new information.

Related Articles

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Medical School Accreditation: Everything You Need to Know

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US residencies in 2024 1

US residency placement rate for graduates over the last five years​ 2

USMLE Step 1 pass rate for first-time test-takers over the last three years 3

USMLE Step 2CK pass rate for first-time test-takers over the last three years 4

1 Data as of March 2024.

2 As the medical school graduating the largest number of students per year, SGU places the largest number of graduates into residency programs each year, based on internal SGU graduate/expected graduate and residency placement data as of March 2024.

3 Average of 2019, 2020, 2021 scores. First-time pass rate is defined as the number of students passing USMLE Step 1 on their first attempt divided by the total number of students taking USMLE Step 1 for the first time. In order to be certified to take USMLE Step 1, students are required to pass all basic sciences courses.

4 Average of academic years 2019, 2020, 2021 scores. First-time pass rate is defined as the number of students passing USMLE Step 2 CK on their first attempt divided by the total number of students taking USMLE Step 2 CK for the first time. USMLE Step 2 CK is typically taken upon completion of third-year core clinical rotations.

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US Residencies in 2024 1

US residency placement rate for graduates over the last five years 2

USMLE Step 2CK pass rate for first-time test takers over the last three years 4

Contact SGU

+1 (631) 665-8500 ext. 1380, st. george’s university university centre grenada, west indies.

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Programs Doctor of Medicine Doctor of Medicine/Master of Science (MD/MSC) Doctor of Medicine/Master of Public Health (MD/MPH) Medical PHD Degree

Copyright: St. George’s University – 2023

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A Trainee’s Guide: Crafting a Personal Statement for Laboratory Medicine Fellowship Applications

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Ria C Fyffe-Freil, Joesph R Wiencek, A Trainee’s Guide: Crafting a Personal Statement for Laboratory Medicine Fellowship Applications, The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine , Volume 9, Issue 5, September 2024, Pages 1091–1094, https://doi.org/10.1093/jalm/jfae067

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There are many unique paths that can lead an individual to the field of laboratory medicine. For some, the profession may be a natural sequence from their current work or research, and for others, the trail might be much more challenging at first to locate. Common paths to the field usually fall into 2 categories: medical doctors (MD, DO, MBBS) and doctorate-degree holders (PhD, DCLS, etc.). For medical doctors, a pathology residency is completed; then subspecialization can be pursued. Doctoral trainees, on the other hand, may be required to use an online tool such as myIDP to explore scientific career options based on aptitude and values ( 1) or may uncover the field by word-of-mouth. Regardless of route, once a prospective trainee commits to a vocation in lab medicine, there is ultimately no reversing course. Fortunately, to help navigate prospective trainees through the process, there are countless individuals in academic, private, and industry job settings who are ready to inspire the next generation by paying it forward. In this laboratory reflection, the goal is to provide some practical advice for one of the most critical aspects of the process—the laboratory medicine fellowship application stage, specifically the personal statement (or letter of intent). And while this piece focuses on clinical chemistry fellowships (as this is what both authors completed), the personal statement “do’s and do not’s” apply more broadly to any clinical laboratory medicine fellowship. Of note, aside from clinical chemistry, there are clinical fellowship opportunities in microbiology, biochemical genetics, laboratory genetics and genomics, as well as clinical immunology/human leukocyte antigen specialties.

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