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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).

• Residency Application

Internal Medicine Residency Personal Statement Examples

As you get ready to apply for residency, it’s a good idea to look at internal medicine residency personal statement examples. One of the most crucial parts of your application will be your residency personal statement, whether you are navigating ERAS  in the US or CaRMS in Canada. Directors of residency programs are interested in learning about your personality, your potential as a resident physician, and the reasons behind your specialty decision. They’ll be looking to understand this from your personal statement.

With a fill-rate of less than 45%, internal medicine was the least competitive among the most competitive & least competitive residencies in a recent survey. The higher the fill-rate, the more competitive the residency program. However, this is not a reason to skimp on any aspect of your residency application. In this article, we provide three great examples of internal medicine residency personal statements to help you write your own and earn that coveted spot in the program of your choice.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free initial consultation here <<

Article Contents 11 min read

Residency personal statements.

Your CV is an impressive, legible, and flawless presentation of your achievements. Now it’s time for your personal statement. In one page, or about 500–800 words, you are setting out to explain to residency program directors why they should choose you, as well as all the events that led you to this particular decision and specialty. No pressure!

The purpose of a residency personal statement is to show the reader who you are. Unlike your medical school personal statement , this essay is not intended to convince someone to admit you. Instead, you are seeking the right Match. Consequently, your residency personal statement should highlight your accomplishments and potential contributions in a way that represents the truest reflection of you as a person and as a physician. The defining quality of a residency personal statement is authenticity. You want to find yourself in a residency program where you will thrive and be able to make a significant contribution.

Watch out for red flags in your residency application!

The following examples take different approaches to the personal statement, but they all include some essential components. They:

• Tell the applicant’s story
• Provide examples of significant moments and experiences
• Illustrate the applicant’s character
• Describe the applicant’s motivation for pursuing medicine
• Contextualize the applicant’s interest in a specialty
• List various skills and qualities the applicant will bring to the residency program

This personal statement presents the story of an international student applying to residency in the United States.

While studying medicine at the National University of Colombia, Bogotá, I experienced various life-changing events, many of which were associated with my role as a team leader for the response to aerial bombings of armed groups by the government. Along with other students, I travelled with paramedics and triaged the wounded in the ED at various hospitals. I came into contact with numerous communities. It was not uncommon to see some of these people again when they returned to our clinics for follow-up treatment or brought their family members in for the diagnosis of chronic illnesses.

Through this experience, I realized that medicine is a virtuous circle. Even in the most devastating circumstances, the connection with a doctor made by one person is often shared with others. Although I gained valuable expertise in emergency medicine, my interest in pathophysiological processes grew. I found it fascinating to be able to correlate clinical findings to reach an accurate differential diagnosis, a vital skill for an internist.

I also realized how important it is to communicate effectively with patients from different backgrounds. My exposure to various cultures and social strata has equipped me with the knowledge to appropriately treat individuals without causing offence. In Columbia, Catholicism is deeply culturally pervasive, for example, and knowing how to navigate patient expectations and limitations has a major influence on their medical decisions.

On our medical ward, there was a patient who had cutaneous leishmaniasis and was treated with parenteral and oral medications as well as local therapies before being discharged. She was a young, local girl of 19 who had been engaged to be married but felt stigmatized by the disease. With her permission, I reached out to both sides of her family and enrolled her in a directly observed treatment program. Seeing her recover successfully and renew her engagement in her subsequent marriage was both personally and professionally rewarding.

This encounter was one of many that confirmed my commitment to internal medicine. Although the ED gives a physician the sense of being immediately helpful in a crisis, I came to appreciate the value of building strong physician–patient connections. In time, I realized how wonderfully fulfilling it is to have such a significant impact on patients’ lives. I am certain my ability to effectively communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds is a strength that will help me become a capable and caring internist.

Recently, I completed a clinical elective at Kaiser Permanente in Pasadena, California, with the objective of acquiring useful US clinical experience. I am currently a clinical observer in the laboratory service. This practical training taught me so much about the American health care system. I’ve learned about patient management through case discussions, hospital rounds, and conferences. I’ve also become familiar with the duties of an intern. Given the courses I selected in medical school and hands-on experience with urgent care in Columbia, I see myself leaning toward infectious diseases as a specialty. This conviction was reinforced during the global health crisis when it became clear that we need more physicians with expertise and experience in this area. As an internist, I will have the exceptional opportunity to provide my patients with comprehensive analysis, appropriate treatment, and advocacy.

This personal statement presents the story of an American student applying to residency in the United States.

My achievements in life are a result of my enthusiastic embrace of challenges that pushed me to learn and grow while also cultivating deep connections. One such connection was with my volleyball coach, Dr. Sandy Mason, at Logan University. She selected me as captain during the last regular season of my senior year, even though I had ended the previous season with an injury. She told me it was because I had never lapsed in my commitment to the team, attending every game and cheering on my teammates, even when I was in pain. The year I was captain we emerged from the regular season undefeated.

The pride I felt at that last game was more important to me than winning the playoffs. Not only was I satisfied with my own recovery and skills, but I was also proud of what our team was able to achieve through our combined efforts. Not all leadership requires teamwork, but in sports and medicine, it does. By making me captain while I was still undergoing therapy, my coach supported me both mentally and physically; I truly believe that this is what enabled me to turn around and direct that same good energy to my teammates.

Another interesting connection in my life is the one I made between my injury and my eventual career plans. Observing the doctors while they tried to assess the complex damage I had sustained to my ankle inspired appreciation but also intrigue. After my sessions, I often found myself limping into libraries or scrolling online to follow up on what they had said.

My current obsession is rheumatology, though my condition resulted from injury, not illness; the next connection I made was with fellow patients in the clinic and hospital. At some point, I was told that I would regain full mobility with proper therapy, but for certain patients, the prognosis was less positive. The idea that they were experiencing as much pain as I had, but over the long term, affected me deeply. As a result, in my last two years of medical school, I’ve sought opportunities to collaborate in research on comorbidity and multimorbidity of chronic diseases, such as arthritis and diabetes.

I am also employed as the lead grant writer for our faculty. I did not actively seek this position but was recommended to it by two of my professors. This show of support underscored how leaders can set a good example by recognizing, investing in, and lifting up juniors. Grant writing is also about teamwork – another connection – which I realized after reaching out to over twenty medical students and investigators just to prepare the first proposal. In this environment, I learned to create a strong application, carry out protocols, analyze data, conduct literature reviews, and draft studies. I would apply these skills in a residency program to support research and enhance outcomes for patients with complex pathology.

I am especially interested in research in therapeutic settings. For instance, during my rotations at St. Luke’s Hospital, I met many patients with arthritis, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, fibromyalgia, and gout. Under the supervision of Dr. Xiu, our team surveyed these patients to compare the effects of current therapies on different types of arthritis and devise better treatments. Even at this early date, our research has led to improved results for a subset of patients who previously felt they didn’t have any other options. Applying what I learn is one of the most satisfying aspects of medicine for me, especially when it improves patients’ quality of life. I would be interested in continuing this work as a longitudinal study and potentially weaving it into my residency.

Going forward, I hope to learn existing approaches and techniques that represent best practices, but I am also keen to innovate and expand the scope of my specialty. I aim to have a lasting impact, first, by relieving pain and benefitting others as a caring, patient-centered physician, and then by devoting my energy to research, clinical excellence, and service.

Most importantly, I am seeking a residency that shares my vision of teamwork, as exemplified by my coach, Dr. Mason, my volleyball team, and my current faculty: first and foremost, everyone on the team is dedicated to achieving the same objective; everyone understands and values the contributions of each team member; everyone puts in a lot of effort; everyone encourages the personal growth of the other team members. If given the opportunity to join such a team, I will jump at the chance – and I will be able to do so, thanks to the doctors who helped me jump again.

This personal statement presents the story of a young immigrant to Canada applying to residency in Canada.

Not long ago, I returned to Syria, my birthplace, for the first time in eight years. I had left the country before the Arab Spring protests to participate in an international high school exchange program in science. Although I became more Canadian as time went on, I never stopped thinking about the rest of my family back home. I had expected to be gone for one year, but after my uncle was killed in the civil war, everyone urged me to stay in Canada. Ultimately, I was able to apply, with the help of my family, for Canadian Permanent Resident Status.

I pursued advanced science, biology, and physics options in high school, but during a career fair, I attended a presentation by Doctors Without Borders about their intervention in Syria. Two doctors who had recently returned from their tour spoke of their experiences, and the multimedia aspect, including photos and video, made me feel both homesick and terrified. The years of violence had severely damaged Syria’s infrastructure. The country’s once-relatively effective health care system was devastated. Numerous medical institutions had been destroyed, personnel had been killed or fled, and there were severe supply shortages. I understood then that what I had gained from my good fortune I would give back by returning to my country and meeting a part of the urgent need there, once I had the proper education and training.

After an undergrad and pre-med at Ontario Tech, I was accepted to the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster. However, with a six-month gap between graduation and the start of medical school, I decided to return to Syria to visit family and investigate the health care situation for myself. I wanted to have a concrete plan for how and where I would ultimately work as a physician.

This journey changed me. Whole towns were scarred by the vestiges of war; some villages I had known were completely wiped off the map. More disturbing was the impact on the population. Many people living in massive refugee camps, such as Za’atari, had debilitating injuries from bombings or AR assaults. The number of people with acute or chronic diseases in the camps was significant. While I was there, I helped attend to three people injured in a fire and learned a lot from the resident physicians about identifying diseases that were common there but would have been unusual in Canada.

During my first two years of medical school, I was torn between a focus on emergency medicine and internal medicine. The recent global health crisis settled that question for me. As an intern at St. Joseph’s Hamilton Healthcare, I assisted in the ED, helped admit urgent cases, and provided care. To facilitate appropriate interventions, we collaborated closely with specialty teams. I felt genuinely at home on the ward, despite the lack of resources, trauma, exhaustion, and constant worry about getting sick or infecting someone else. In my mind, I drew a direct line to Syria and knew that if I returned, I would have what it takes to endure it, even if the war worsened again.

However, my perspective on emergency care evolved last year when the crisis eased, and we began to see more accident victims and critical cases, such as cardiac arrest or CVA. At the same time, certain cases were especially challenging: patients with a combination of pre-existing health conditions and long-term consequences of COVID-19 were winding up in the ED. This was when I noticed the convergence of my different educations. Attending physicians noticed it too. I identified symptoms in patients that sometimes went undocumented, and my instincts for which test to order were strong. I realized that my science background and ease with theory and analysis were contributing to my diagnostic ability, even though I was not yet allowed to take on such a responsibility. On the patient side, I picked up on visual signs and subtle cues and with knowledge of Arabic, English, French, and Russian, I was able to communicate with a wide range of people.

In the year since, I have increasingly gravitated toward internal medicine, as this is clearly where my skills and aptitudes lie. Although I have remained mainly at St. Joe’s, this has not limited my versatility but rather, enhanced it, as I have had the privilege of caring for a broad spectrum of patients and working with several departmental directors in various specialties. The extensive patient contact, along with the intellectual challenge and learning opportunities inherent in each new case, are what convinced me that internal medicine is exactly where I want and need to be. Should you accept me as a resident, you can be assured of a strong, serious, mature contribution by a sensitive team player with a wealth of experience.

It is hoped that these examples give you a good idea of how to approach your internal medicine residency personal statement and convince you that you can craft your own strong statement around what makes you unique as a person and as a physician.

Here are a few more ideas of what to include:

Your internal medicine residency personal statement should generally be between 500 and 800 words, or one page. Be sure to check the precise requirements of the residency program to which you are applying.

Simply put: Yes! Your residency personal statement provides you with the opportunity to interact with the program directors and explain why you want to pursue your chosen specialty. It also humanizes your application. Your chances of being accepted into your ideal school may be greatly increased with a powerful personal statement.

Get an early start, so that you won’t feel rushed. Conduct comprehensive research on the residency program. Write an outline. Include anecdotes and concrete examples in your essay. Once you have included all the relevant content, work on weaving a story together and revising your writing to make it more concise.

Leave yourself a good six weeks to write your internal medicine residency personal statement.

Red flags should only be discussed if they are pertinent to your personal statement, and you haven’t previously addressed them in another application component. If you do address any areas of concern, be sure to accept responsibility for the issue and detail how you improved as a result of your missteps or setbacks.

With a fill-rate of under 45%, internal medicine is one of the least competitive specialties.

Although unlikely, you may heed every piece of advice from your consultant and yet fail to find a match. Therefore, we advise choosing a professional service that is guaranteed. For instance, at BeMo, we offer a money-back guarantee that you can learn more about by scheduling a free first consultation.

Certainly! While they cannot actually create the essay for you, they can help you brainstorm, offer writing advice and strategies, and guide you through the editing process to ensure that you produce a great residency personal statement.

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Medicine personal statements (ps).

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on crafting outstanding medicine personal statements for UK medical school applications. In this increasingly competitive landscape, a well-crafted personal statement is your passport to standing out from the crowd and securing a place in your dream medical school.

A medicine personal statement holds immense significance in the UK medical school application process. It is a unique opportunity for aspiring medical students like you to showcase your passion, motivation, and suitability for a career in medicine. Admissions committees carefully review personal statements to gain insight into your character, experiences, and commitment to the field. It allows them to assess your communication skills, critical thinking abilities, and overall potential as a future healthcare professional.

Quick Links To PS Sections on this Page...

Click the topic heading below to go straight to that section!

• What is a medical personal statement?
• How do medical schools assess personal statements?
• Step-by-step guide to writing your personal statement
• Reflective Writing Techniques
• Common pitfalls when writing your personal statement
• Additional tools and support to help you write the best personal statement that you can!

Unlimited On-demand Mentoring For Your Entire Med School Application

What is a ps, med schools & the ps, writing guide, reflective writing, things to avoid, extra support, what is a medical personal statement.

A medicine personal statement is a written document that allows aspiring medical students to express their motivations, experiences, and suitability for pursuing a career in medicine.

The purpose of a medicine personal statement is to provide admissions committees with insight into your character, aspirations, and commitment to the field of medicine. It serves as a platform for you to showcase your unique qualities and convince medical schools that you possess the skills and attributes necessary to thrive as a future healthcare professional.

Complete Medical School All-in-one Solution!

UK medical schools consider personal statements as an essential component of the application process. Admissions committees carefully review personal statements to evaluate candidates beyond their academic achievements and test scores.

Personal statements offer a holistic perspective of applicants, allowing medical schools to assess their communication skills, critical thinking abilities, and suitability for a career in medicine. These statements provide valuable context to understand your motivations, experiences, and personal qualities that are not captured through other application materials.

Personal statements for both the current and upcoming application cycles will continue to follow the traditional essay format. While there have been proposed changes by UCAS to transition to a short answer format with specific questions, these changes will not be implemented until at least 2025 for students applying to enter universities in 2026. Therefore, we will focus on the essay format that has been utilised for the past 20-30 years.

A well-structured medicine personal statement essay consists of three main components: an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.  We call this the personal statement’s ‘superstructure’.

1. Introduction:

The introduction serves as the starting point of your personal statement and should engage the reader from the beginning. It provides a brief overview of your motivations and sets the tone for the rest of the essay. Consider using attention-grabbing anecdotes, thought-provoking statements, or personal reflections to make your introduction captivating.

2. Body Paragraphs:

The body paragraphs form the core of your personal statement and provide an opportunity to showcase your experiences, skills, and personal qualities. Within these paragraphs, it is important to consider the structure of each individual paragraph, known as ‘paragraph structure’.

3. Conclusion:

The conclusion is the closing section of your personal statement and should leave a lasting impression on the reader. It is an opportunity to summarise your key points and reiterate your passion for medicine. Reflect on your journey, express your enthusiasm for future learning and growth, and emphasise your commitment to becoming a compassionate and skilled healthcare professional.

In addition to a personal statement’s ‘superstructure’ you also need to be familiar with ‘paragraph structure’.

Paragraph structure refers to the way you organise and structure the content within each paragraph. It is important to adopt a reflective approach when structuring your paragraphs. Here are some tips to guide you:

• Begin each paragraph with a clear topic sentence that introduces the main point or idea.
• Provide supporting evidence, examples, or experiences to substantiate your claims or statements.
• Reflect on the significance or impact of these experiences, demonstrating personal growth and development.
• Use transition words and phrases to create a smooth flow between paragraphs and ideas.

The UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) sets a maximum limit for personal statements, which is currently 4,000 characters or 47 lines of text (including spaces and blank lines). This limit applies to all undergraduate courses, including medicine, in the UK.

It is important to note that the character and line limits include all the text within the personal statement, including the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. This means that you need to be concise and thoughtful in your writing to effectively convey your experiences, motivations, and suitability for becoming a doctor.

While there is no specific requirement for the minimum length of a personal statement, it is generally recommended to aim for at least 3,500 character to provide a comprehensive overview of your qualifications and aspirations for medicine. However, keep in mind that quality is more important than quantity, so focus on providing meaningful and well-developed content within the given limit.

Before submitting your personal statement, ensure that you carefully review and edit your writing to eliminate any unnecessary or redundant information, while maintaining a clear and coherent narrative that effectively highlights your strengths and passion for the chosen course.

Many students often worry about what to include in their personal statement. However, the most important aspect is that it genuinely reflects you as an individual and serves as an honest representation of your thoughts, skills, and interests.

A well-crafted personal statement enables you to highlight your unique experiences, such as work/volunteer experiences, research involvement, and extracurricular activities that have shaped your understanding of the medical profession.

Your personal statement plays a crucial role in demonstrating your suitability for a medical career. It allows you to showcase essential skills, such as empathy, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving abilities. By presenting your experiences and reflections, you can effectively convey your commitment to patient care, ethical considerations, and your alignment with the values of the medical profession.

Additionally, it is essential to tailor your personal statement to each medical school you apply to, as different schools may have specific criteria or expectations. Take the time to research each institution and review their guidance on personal statements. Many medical schools provide valuable advice and insights into what they look for in personal statements.

Medical schools What to See?

It is important to recognise that medical schools employ various methods when considering personal statements. While some schools may not initially assess personal statements, instead relying on predicted grades, admissions tests, and academic references, others integrate personal statements into their evaluation process. Some medical schools may screen personal statements for widening participation flags, while others may utilise them during the interview stage. Regardless of the different methods used by medical schools, there is no doubt that the personal statement plays a significant role in the selection process.

Include the Key Attributes of a Doctor

• Motivation to study medicine
• Insight into self and medicine
• Organisation, time-management and prioritisation
• Problem-solving under pressure
• Verbal and written communication skills
• Leadership and Teamwork
• Research, teaching and mentoring skills
• Honesty, integrity and treating others with respect.

Take the Stress Out Of Applying to Medical School

Medical schools are interested in seeing your experiences, skills, and attributes that are relevant to the field of medicine. Consider the following guidelines when crafting your personal statement:

• Reflect on the meaning of medicine to you and express it in your own words.
• Focus on the lessons and insights you have gained from your work or voluntary experience in the healthcare profession.
• Emphasise the knowledge you have acquired about the life of a doctor and the challenges and rewards it entails.
• When discussing your skills, explain their significance and relevance to the medical profession.
• Share any experiences with outreach programmes that have enhanced your understanding of studying medicine or practicing as a doctor, such as Medic Mentor events, extra-curricular activities and summer schools.
• Include information about specific areas of medicine that interest you, showcasing your passion and curiosity.
• Mention your extracurricular activities and hobbies, highlighting how they have contributed to your personal development.

Lastly, ensure that your personal statement is free of punctuation, spelling, and grammar errors. Avoid using clichés and quotes, as they can weaken the impact of your statement and make them less personal.

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Your Personal Statement

Crafting a compelling medicine personal statement is a crucial step in securing a place in your desired medical school. In this comprehensive guide, we will provide you with a step-by-step approach to writing an effective personal statement that will capture the attention of admissions committees and showcase your suitability for a career in medicine.

Comprehensive Med School Application Support and Success!

Before putting pen to paper, take the time to engage in self-reflection. Ask yourself why you want to pursue a career in medicine. Consider your personal experiences, encounters with healthcare professionals, and any defining moments that have influenced your decision. Identify the key motivations that drive your passion for medicine, as this will serve as the foundation for your personal statement.  Then create a structure plan before you start writing in full sentences.  Try to link your experiences with a couple of skills/attributes and reflect on why this is important in medicine.

To create a well-organised personal statement, structure it with an attention-grabbing introduction, informative body paragraphs, and a memorable conclusion.

• Introduction : Begin with a captivating opening that hooks the reader and conveys your enthusiasm for medicine.
• Body Paragraphs : Develop your personal statement by showcasing relevant experiences, such as work/volunteer experiences and research involvement. Demonstrate key qualities and skills desired by medical schools, including empathy, teamwork, and communication. Incorporate personal anecdotes and stories to make your statement more engaging and relatable. Highlight ethical considerations and values that align with the medical profession.
• Conclusion : End with a memorable conclusion that summarises your key points, reinforces your passion for medicine, and leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

Throughout your personal statement, focus on showcasing your experiences and skills that are relevant to medicine . This can include:

• Work/volunteer experiences: Discuss how these experiences have shaped your understanding of healthcare, reinforced your passion for medicine, and provided valuable insights into patient care.  If you are struggling to get work experience, we can help!  Join our free virtual work experience programme!
• Research involvement: Highlight any research projects you have participated in and emphasise the skills and knowledge you have gained through these experiences.  You can demonstrate this with Medic Mentor’s help by researching and publishing an article in the Mentor Magazine!
• Key qualities and skills: Demonstrate your empathy, leadership, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving abilities. Use specific examples to illustrate how you have developed and utilised these skills in real-life situations.  For example, you can demonstrate these through our leadership programmes!

To make your personal statement stand out, incorporate personal anecdotes and stories that showcase your unique journey and experiences. Engage the reader by providing vivid details and describing how these experiences have shaped your perspectives and aspirations.  This is an important component of ‘reflective writing’.

Medical schools value applicants who demonstrate a strong ethical foundation and an understanding of the moral responsibilities associated with practicing medicine. Reflect on ethical dilemmas you have encountered and discuss how you navigate and prioritise ethical considerations in patient care.

Using Reflective Writing Techniques

In your medicine personal statement, it is not only the activities and experiences you discuss that hold importance but also the quality of reflection that you demonstrate. Reflective writing techniques play a vital role in conveying the depth of your understanding and the impact of your experiences. In this section, we will explore the importance of using reflective writing techniques to enhance the quality of your medicine personal statement.

A more reassuring Way to Start Your Medical Career...

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle is a widely used framework in the medical field for structuring written reflections. It helps individuals critically analyse their experiences, identify areas for improvement, and enhance their professional growth. In this section, we will explore how you can utilise Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle to structure paragraphs effectively within your medical personal statement. It is worth noting that this reflective framework remains relevant throughout medical school and as junior doctors progress through their training, with written reflections being an integral part of NHS E-portfolios and appraisal processes.  Therefore, using Gibbs’ reflective cycle when writing your personal statement, will truly demonstrate great insight and make you stand out from other applicants!

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle consists of six key stages that guide the reflective process which you can use for your ‘paragraph sructure’:

Description : Begin by providing a detailed description of the experience or situation you are reflecting upon. Set the context, explain the events, and provide relevant background information.

Feelings : Reflect on your emotions, thoughts, and reactions during the experience. Consider both positive and negative feelings, as they contribute to your overall learning and growth.

Evaluation : Analyse the experience and critically evaluate its impact on your personal and professional development. Identify what went well, what could have been improved, and any challenges faced.

Analysis : Dig deeper into the experience and identify the factors that influenced the outcomes. Explore the underlying reasons, theories, or frameworks that can help explain the situation.

Conclusion : Summarise your overall understanding and learning from the experience. Highlight the key insights, lessons, or changes in perspective that have resulted from your analysis.

Action Plan : Outline specific actions or steps you will take to apply your learning and improve future practice. Consider how you will address any challenges or enhance your skills based on the insights gained.

When utilising Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle in your medical personal statement, you can structure your paragraphs to effectively convey your reflective process:

Introduction : Provide a brief overview of the experience you will be reflecting upon, setting the context for the subsequent paragraphs.

Description : Start the paragraph by describing the experience in detail. Provide relevant information, such as the setting, the individuals involved, and the circumstances surrounding the experience.

Feelings : Reflect upon the emotions, thoughts, and reactions you experienced during the situation. Be honest and introspective, sharing both positive and negative feelings.

Evaluation and Analysis : Merge these two stages together within a single paragraph. Critically evaluate the experience, highlighting what went well, what could have been improved, and any challenges faced. Analyse the factors that influenced the outcomes, drawing upon relevant theories or frameworks.

Conclusion : Summarise your overall understanding and learning from the experience. Highlight the key insights, lessons, or changes in perspective that have resulted from your reflective analysis.

Action Plan : Conclude the paragraph by outlining specific actions or steps you plan to take based on your learning. Discuss how you will apply your insights to enhance your future medical practice or personal growth.

We fully understand the immense pressure that students face when tasked with writing a personal statement, and we are here to provide guidance and support throughout this crucial process. But students can make significant mistakes in the writing process that you must take care to avoid.  These usually happen because students feel under pressure, or they run out of time, or they are misinformed and end up using resources that could get themselves into trouble.  By highlighting these common pitfalls, we want to ensure that you don’t find yourself making any unnecessary mistakes, or burn out during the writing process.

Crafting a personal statement may feel overwhelming, but remember that you have unique experiences and qualities to share that will make your application shine. With our expert advice and step-by-step guidance, you can confidently navigate the personal statement writing journey and present your best self to admissions committees.

Writing a personal statement can be a daunting task, especially considering the immense pressure students face during the application process. However, it’s important to remember that you possess a wealth of experiences, skills, and aspirations that make you a strong candidate.

Don't Get Sucked Into...

Some of these might be tempting but they will actually work against you or even get your flagged for plagiarism…

• Using artificial intelligence to write your personal statement
• Using review services where you send in your personal statement for 'checking', 'marking' or 'editing'. You don't know who is on the other end and who else has seen your personal statement.
• Reading 'perfect' examples of personal statements, before writing your own
• Skipping the planning stage
• Not reflecting deeply enough
• Making up experiences or achievements to sound impressive
• Misusing medical terminology
• Prioritising the wrong examples to write about
• Not getting help from your teachers, parents and trusted mentors
• Leaving it to the last minute
• Panicking and not knowing when it is finished!

How can Medic Mentor Help You With Your Personal Statement?

We want to assure you that we will never ask you to submit your personal statement for a review or provide you with multiple “perfect” examples. These practices are not reputable and can potentially harm your personal statement. Instead, our approach is focused on teaching and mentoring you through various modules to help you craft an outstanding personal statement that truly showcases your unique qualities.

We offer a range of options for you to choose from, including free webinars, informative talks, comprehensive e-learning resources, and even an enhanced 1-2-1 tutoring program. With our trusted mentors, you will receive guidance and support as you write your own amazing statement. This has worked for thousands of students over the past decade! We believe in an honest and genuine approach to writing excellent personal statements, empowering you to make informed decisions about the best approach that suits your needs. The power is in your hands to shine in the application process, and we are here to provide the tools and support you need, every step of the way.

How to be the most prepared Student Applying to Medical School

Meet our successful students: great personal statements and med school offers.

We teach 50,000 students every year and our authenticity policy mandates us to abide by the GMC’s professional code of conduct: honesty, integrity, respect and politeness.   All photos and stories are of real people.   We will never engage with false or paid for reviews on third-party review platforms.  To learn more about our  authenticity policy click here.

Krishan Patel

University of birmingham 1st year.

Ellie Martin

Queen's university belfast 1st year.

Namrata Juneja

St george's university 3rd year.

Fathimah Saqib

University of birmingham 2nd year, be inspired by more successful students, let's get that, medical school application sorted.

Medic Mentor is an all-in-one solution to your medical school application.  We bring only the best resources for tackling every single component of your medical school application to one place.  We are here to help you work efficiently, by balancing the UCAS application process alongside your school work and extracurricular activities.  One of the best ways to save you time is to direct you to the best advice and resources so that you do not have to waste time searching for them yourselves.

We know what you are going through, as doctors and medical students who were in your position!  By combining application knowledge, extracurricular opportunities, platforms to up-skill and boost confidence, it is not a surprise that Medic Mentor students are successful.  Will it be difficult? Yes, applying to medical school is not easy.  But through Medic Mentor it will be less stressful, and even fun.  Let’s get started!

Quick Application Guide to Medical School

Click on the links below to take you straight to the resources that you need help with.

• Entry Requirements (Grades)
• Work Experience
• Volunteering
• Extracurricular Opportunities
• Medicine Personal Statement
• Strategically Choosing 4 Medical Schools
• Medical School Interviews
• Scholarships to Study Medicine
• Reapplication: What to do if you don't get in

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12 Steps to a Perfect Medical School Personal Statement (with before and after example)

Have you ever read an example med school personal statement and thought, Wow... I could never write something that good ?

That’s because you’re only seeing the finished product. Take it from me, an editor, someone who sees the essays first thing in the morning without their makeup on.

artist Stephan Schmitz - https://www.theispot.com/artist/schmitz

See all those broken plates? Those are all the personal statement rough drafts, the discarded sentences, the gutted paragraphs, all the sweat and tears of the revision process . No one sees that. They see a guy miraculously juggling five plates at once.

You’re like that juggler - trying to balance multiple things at once in your personal statement, all within certain strict limitations. And guess what? You’ll have to break a few plates before you get it right.

So… let’s break some plates (maybe some hearts and spirits too).

I invite you along to play the role of editor with me. You’ll choose your own path as we go through 12 steps of revision to perfect the personal statement.

I’ll give a “before” version of each section of an example personal statement, and you’ll have to call the 12 shots about how we make it better. Ready?

Default Outline for Personal Statement

Section 1 - hook.

Hook (BEFORE)

Step 1: Cut down on length

Step 2: Remove the negativity

Step 3: Grab More Attention

Hook (AFTER)

Section 2 - When/Why Medicine

When/Why Medicine (BEFORE)

Step 4: Remove red flags

Step 5: Connect to personal narrative

Step 6: Add more definitive “Why Medicine”

When/Why Medicine (AFTER)

Section 3 - Exposure

Exposure (BEFORE):

Step 7: Remove informal language

Step 8: Show more personal value as a candidate

Exposure (AFTER)

Optional - Explain Issues with Conduct/Grades

Section 4 - meaningful contributions.

Meaningful Contributions (BEFORE)

Step 9: Include above-and-beyond contributions

Step 10: Emphasize impact on others

Meaningful Contributions (AFTER)

Section 5 - Why You/Conclusion

Why You/Conclusion (BEFORE)

Step 11: Balance your voice with professionalism

Step 12: Add more style, cut down on summary

Why You/Conclusion (AFTER)

COMPLETE “Before” Draft

Complete “after” draft.

Don’t have the time or energy for this Do-It-Yourself project?

Then BOOK A FREE MEETING with our expert medical school advisors for more guidance. We’ve helped hundreds of students write their personal statements (including the sample below), and we’d love to help you on your writing journey!

Obviously this can vary, but let’s keep it simple:

Optional: Explain Issues with Grades/Conduct

The goal here is to grab the readers’ attention and compel them to keep reading. Ideally, the hook will pose a problem, share an unexpected challenge, or reverse the readers’ expectations about a situation.

Characteristics of a Good Hook :

* Not too long

* Grabs attention

* Initiates the plot

DIRECTIONS: Read the excerpt below and consider what changes you’d make, both big-picture and small-picture.

HOOK (BEFORE) :

Throughout high school and college, I have been supporting my family in more ways than one. My mother needed a lot of support due to her bad arthritis and physical limitations. It was not the most ideal situation, and it felt like I was living a double life. I went to a pretty good high school since my parents wanted me to have a decent education, but the kids there were protected and shielded from most inconveniences in life. Someone from my background was not very welcome. It was jarring, as vapid girls my age talked about going to equestrian classes and how they knew someone on the Yale admissions committee, while I came to school from my two-bedroom non-air-conditioned home that my family of four shared. I was a nanny at the age of 12 and would juggle taking care of 3-4 kids every week. My dad unfortunately got pretty ill during this time (brain aneurysm and subsequent recovery), so it was definitely a weird time. I got brutally harassed by a girl at school after she found out about my living situation, so I learned to form two identities. In school, I was someone who fake-laughed with people and sympathized with the horrors of a girl’s parents buying a pony she didn’t like. I pretended to act excited for another girl’s European vacation (in reality I was jealous).

Pick an aspect to fix:

Step 3: Grab more attention

Jump to the After version.

STEP 1: CUT DOWN ON LENGTH

Indeed. Currently this opener is ~1300 characters, which is disproportionate for our total space (5300 characters). Hooks should probably be around 700-800 characters instead, so that the remaining sections can have 1000+ each.

What to cut? We want it to be ~10 lines of text, so take a shot at cutting ~5-6 lines.

Your answer:

_____________________________________________________________________

My approach:

Without compromising the necessary context, you should cut anything that could go in the Disadvantaged Essay instead, especially the “facts” of the situation that don’t require much editorialization. Admissions committees read the disadvantaged essay before any of the other writing in the application.

STEP 2: REMOVE THE NEGATIVITY

This is a far more common problem than you’d think. For one, it’s hard for us to know how our tone and voice are coming across. Secondly, we sometimes write about things while they’re still “fresh wounds,” leaving room for resentment to creep in.

What’s too negative? Make a list below of the words/phrases/sentences from our sample hook that seem too negative:

fake-laughed

pretended to act excited

the horrors of a girl’s parents buying a pony she didn’t like

I can sympathize with the writer, but there’s no point in having a negative spin when you can achieve the same impact with a positive spin.

Simply mentioning one or two details like the equestrian classes will go a long way.  

STEP 3: GRAB MORE ATTENTION

Turn the whole hook into a contrast between life at home and life at school. Give it a metaphor that makes it accessible and memorable. Break it up into shorter paragraphs to make it more digestible.  

HOOK (AFTER):

Throughout high school, my life felt like a less glamorous version of Hannah Montana. While Hannah transformed into a pop star after school, I transformed into a nanny. And it wasn’t any regular babysitting job either; at my peak, I managed a gaggle of 14 kids. In one way, school was a sanctuary; there was order, cleanliness, and a schedule. After school, it was all diaper-and-tantrum-filled chaos.

The juxtaposition between home and school was also pronounced due to money. I didn’t understand my classmates’ wealth until they started talking about equestrian classes and Maseratis. Although my life was by no means fun, I chose to stay home for college since my family needed my presence. My father had a brain aneurysm when I was 14, and my family was still facing the remnants of that event.

What we’re looking for here:

* Motivations that build directly off what makes the candidate unique

* A good combination of selflessness (helping others) and self-interest (how the career will fulfill/stimulate you unlike any other)

* A nice balance of idealism and realism - neither naive nor overblown

WHEN/WHY MEDICINE (BEFORE) :

My decision to become a doctor was a culmination of events and experiences that led to an eventual realization, rather than one single revelation. When I first started at my university, I was an 18-year-old who had no clue what to do in life. For one year, I explored pharmacy and finance, but the drudgery of the work made me turn away from these professions. At the start of my second year, I decided to volunteer at the ER to see what the hospital environment was like. Looking back, this mundane decision was a godsend of exposure and clarification. I went into ER expecting to give out glasses of water and wheel patients around. But it was a lot more. I saw patients who were experiencing the worst moments of their lives, and I was beyond my comfort zone. However, I loved interacting with patients, enjoyed being in the hospital, and had a knack for talking and making people feel better.

I started the Pathfinder Internship to determine whether I wanted to be a nurse or a doctor. The first three months of the internship were at the Oncology/General Care Unit, where it was incredibly depressing. I felt so helpless seeing people die. Nurses and doctors  were mainly just keeping people alive, as most patients were already permanent victims of cancer or chronic unregulated conditions. I did the rest of my rotations at an urgent care clinic and birth center, which were way less depressing, and many times patients left feeling better. During this time, I realized the doctor’s role matched me better than a nurse; I liked how doctors had creative control to create optimal treatment plans for patients. I had already shadowed two interventional cardiologists and an orthopedic surgeon, and I knew I wanted to have a connection with patients and create medical care that suited their needs. Also, by this time, I had started my global health minor, and was learning all about preventative care, women’s health, and disparities in healthcare. The combined clinical care experiences, my interest in science, and the global health minor all came together in a beautiful way to point me into medicine.

STEP 4: REMOVE RED FLAGS

mundane decision

incredibly depressing

permanent victims

It’s good to be honest and to show that you’ve experienced medicine’s challenges, but these choices in diction will do more harm than good. Let’s nix them.

STEP 5: CONNECT TO PERSONAL NARRATIVE

Right now, section two seems to exist in isolation from our hook, so we’ll want to bring back aspects of the family situation, namely the father’s medical issues, so that we can see the narrative building cohesively.

STEP 6: ADD MORE DEFINITIVE “WHY MEDICINE”

Right now, the “came together in a beautiful way” line is too vague and impressionistic. The writer would benefit from creating a more specific set of criteria that medicine can offer in a career.

Your “Why Medicine” response should not leave any holes or gaps that would tempt the reader to ask, “Why not social work?” or “Why not research?”

WHEN/WHY MEDICINE (AFTER):

After earning my way into a UC college, I dabbled in finance, pharmacy, and psychology, feeling somewhat clueless about what I wanted. Earlier, I had tentatively chosen a biochemistry major, and over time the pre-med path grew more intriguing. I decided to volunteer in the ER during my second year, a weekly commitment that allowed enough time to assist my family again when my dad lost his job. It was one of the best decisions I ever made, especially since the entire ER team went out of its way to expose me to the field. I grew to love each shift as I interacted with people, observed action-packed procedures, and worked in tandem with staff to smooth out workflow. Around this time, I shadowed cardiologists and orthopedic surgeons, and loved the atmosphere of teamwork and patient care. Medicine drew me in, but I was still unsure about what particular role I would fill.

I received the direction I needed during my Pathfinder Internship, where I first rotated in a hospice ward to help terminally ill patients. As I tried to make their passing more dignified, it reminded me of my dad’s recovery, when my family was given no clear prognosis. I knew that patience and presence of mind were key. Even if death was certain, these patients needed help maintaining normalcy. I continued to Expresscare, a small clinic which diagnosed a wide variety of underserved patients. Later on in the Birth Center, I observed OB/GYNs creating long-term and short-term solutions that fundamentally shaped patients’ lives. I wanted to be in a similar position, confidently resolving health issues while providing comfort through both knowledge and bedside manner. Whether it was ER doctors turning off a defibrillator gone awry, OB/GYNs working through unanticipated surgical challenges, or cardiologists providing long-term care, these physicians embodied the roles I wanted to play: decision maker, advocate, and trusted healer.

* A sense of your growing passions within medicine

* Some niche involvement that builds on “Why Medicine” motivations

EXPOSURE (BEFORE):

During this same time, I started my Global Health minor, and my vision became clearer. Global health involves helping those who are often ignored by medicine. I knew that medicine was not like Grey’s Anatomy or Dr. House. There are people who are left behind. I knew what it felt like to be an outsider, as I would transition from a nanny to “one of the girls” in high school and college. I knew how lonely it felt when my dad didn’t have the proper insurance during his job loss, and we didn’t know what to do. My vision in medicine is to level the playing field for all people seeking medical care by doing what fulfills me the most. In the end, it all came together. Volunteering in the ER, interning through Pathfinder, and shadowing doctors helped me discover my calling.

STEP 7: REMOVE INFORMAL LANGUAGE

Make a short list of words/phrases that don’t seem appropriate:

Grey’s Anatomy

Even though the student is specifically saying medicine is NOT like these TV shows, it still seems like the wrong context or reference point, especially in relation to global health.

Mentioning pop culture versions of medicine is usually ill-advised, and this candidate can make her point just as effectively without them.

STEP 8: SHOW MORE PERSONAL VALUE AS A CANDIDATE

At this point in the essay, the candidate has already explained her motivations towards medicine, so the final few lines of this paragraph feel redundant.

We don’t have a lot of characters to spare, so she’d be better off showcasing the value of her global health minor (the skills, insights, lessons, etc.)

EXPOSURE (AFTER):

My rotations at Pathfinder and ER volunteering exposed me to diverse, underserved patients, and these interactions inspired me to pursue a Global Health minor to help those marginalized by medicine. On a smaller scale, I knew what it was like to be an outsider, as I transitioned from a messy-haired, sweaty-faced nanny to “one of the girls” at school. I knew how lonely and unsettling it felt when my dad didn’t have insurance during his job loss. Global health offered avenues for putting this empathy into action and showed me the importance of solidarity, in which physicians work WITH patients, not just FOR them. The minor taught me about large-scale entities that govern and dictate the health of the masses, and the tools needed to make healthcare more attainable. The minor also instilled cultural competence, responsibility, and social justice.

This did not apply for this student, but it might for YOU(?).

Want to know the most tactful way to explain that bad semester, your MCAT struggles, or other such snafus?

* Tangible value of your insights and experiences within medicine

* Your ability to leave things better than you found them

MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTIONS (BEFORE):

My interest in providing culturally competent care and helping marginalized people in medicine helped me during an Expresscare shift when I eased the fears of an undocumented teenager who thought he might have HIV after one of his several partners was infected. It felt empowering to explain STDs, safe sex, HIV, and PreP/Truvada, all in order to help the NP determine a course of action. I loved advocating for patients who didn’t have proper insurance, and felt gratified when the NP and I found another clinic where patients could receive affordable care.

STEP 9: INCLUDE ABOVE-AND-BEYOND CONTRIBUTIONS

There are two aspects that stand out as being underdeveloped: the candidate’s scope of responsibility and her above-and-beyond efforts. After some brainstorming, she was able to add meaningful details in these areas.

NOTE: this does not mean that you should create a laundry-list of all your tasks and responsibilities. It means focusing on the actions and efforts that exceeded expectations.

STEP 10: EMPHASIZE IMPACT ON OTHERS

Sometimes a paragraph needs more examples so that the one story or patient case doesn’t seem anomalous, but rather the norm for you. Giving 2-3 examples of your impact on different types of patients will show your range and ability to advocate for diverse populations.

MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTIONS (AFTER):

This background helped me during an Expresscare shift, as I eased the fears of an undocumented teenager who thought he had HIV after his partner was infected. It felt empowering to explain STDs, safe sex, HIV, and PreP/Truvada, making the patient feel more in control. In this role, I often contacted clinics that admit uninsured patients to help others access care during vulnerable times. My global health training also helped me coach a black woman through a difficult delivery alongside nurses. Through my numerous Maternal Health classes, I knew that black women have double the maternal mortality rates in America, and case studies suggest that valid concerns are often not taken seriously. Therefore, I made sure to follow through on requests, such as taking temperature and BP when she felt feverish. I remained at her side for the last couple hours of delivery, and she said she felt safe knowing someone was there for her. As a physician, I will implement these valuable lessons in my future practice to make every patient feel as safe and cared for as possible.

* Stylistic callback to the intro and themes

* Reiteration of biggest reasons admissions committees should choose you

WHY YOU/CONCLUSION (BEFORE):

In the end, my path in deciding to pursue medicine, especially a medical career that focuses on the medically underserved, was a culmination of years of life experience and exploration into the field. It started as a love of basic science, which led to choosing biochemistry and cell biology as a major. The ER volunteering gig introduced me to clinical medicine, and the Palomar internship confirmed that becoming a physician was my calling. My experiences as an outsider, and a person who had to juggle multiple lifes challenges, made me especially sensitive to those who are marginalized and overwhelmed, inspiring me to pursue a career in medicine that focuses on bringing care to marginalized folks.

STEP 11: BALANCE YOUR VOICE WITH PROFESSIONALISM

volunteering gig

marginalized folks

*my calling

Normally, there’s nothing wrong with ‘gig’ and ‘folks,’ but they seem a bit colloquial for a personal statement. Again, the candidate could communicate the same message without these words, so it’s not worth using diction that could be misconstrued.

*Although ‘my calling’ isn’t too informal, it’s a rather cliche phrase that might make the admissions committees recoil in disgust.

STEP 12: ADD MORE STYLE, CUT DOWN ON SUMMARY

This is a common problem for conclusions. In school, we’re taught that the conclusion should merely summarize the main points of the essay. But that’s short-sighted and ultimately pretty boring. Yes, you need to reiterate certain aspects, but you should use stylistic callbacks when doing so.

Another common problem is candidates spending too much time restating “Why Medicine” reasons, rather than emphasizing what THEY can bring to the table. The key is to sell yourself without sounding full of yourself .

WHY YOU/CONCLUSION (AFTER):

Although my Nanny Montana days are behind me, this experience has helped me empathize with patients who are forced to manage multiple obligations and move between differing realities. I have experiences from across the healthcare spectrum, as both a loved one of an uninsured patient and a scholar looking to improve conditions for all in the long-term. My background as an outsider, who had to juggle multiple life challenges, made me especially sensitive to the marginalized and overwhelmed, inspiring me to pursue a career in medicine that focuses on empowering others and protecting their well-being.

So, at this point, we’ve changed the essay in 12 different ways - 12 broken plates, if you will. And really, each of these changes required a few iterations, so you can multiply those plates by two or three.

Yes, it’s a messy process, but it results in a beautiful presentation - an essay that successfully juggles all of its primary goals.

Remember: we can help. BOOK A FREE MEETING with our expert medical school advisors for more guidance.

Feel free to leave questions in the comments section below, and we’ll respond to you personally! Best of luck with your personal statement drafts!

Add-On: Explaining Issues with Grades/Conduct

Need to explain some elephant in the room to the admissions committees? Follow this sentence-by-sentence outline, and you’ll be just fine (or as fine as you can be!).

1-2 sentences to explain the factors that led to the issue

It's wise to let the facts speak for themselves. If there were extenuating circumstances that led to this anomalous blip in your record, make sure to include those as evidence, BUT DON'T editorialize or try to make excuses for what happened. The goal in the beginning is to just acknowledge and own up to the failure/mistake.

1-2 sentences to explain how you've rectified the issue

This will depend a lot on your situation, but typically, it will involve some kind of additional tutoring, office hours, retaken classes, better time-management, etc. It might involve probation. Beyond explaining the requirements you fulfilled and your upward trend in grades, discuss the ways you've sought to improve overall as a person.

1-2 sentences to explain the growth, personal qualities, and lessons you’ve gained

Again, this will depend a lot on your situation. Perhaps there's some activity or endeavor that you can use as "proof" of your growth as a person (i.e. tutoring other struggling students or serving on the student judiciary board). If not, just explain what you learned from the experience and how it's turned you into a better person moving forward.

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All work on this site is our own. The content for the Savvy med school search was found on the webpages of the respective medical schools.

Personal Statement for Medicine

Composing a personal statement for any degree is a challenge but for medicine, this is your chance to illustrate your academic prowess and work experience alongside a genuine passion and fascination for the medical subjects you love. a personal statement can support your application if your exam results are slightly below your expectations or can enhance a strong set of grades for the best chance of acceptance., make the most of your words.

UCAS , the admissions service for universities in the UK, describes a personal statement as “your opportunity to sell yourself to your prospective school, college or training provider.” Students are given a 47 line, 4,000 character limit (which roughly equates to 500 words) in which to show off their appeal to the institutions of their choosing. 

Here, it’s important to get into the mind of the member of admissions staff that will be reading your statement – what do they want to see? 500 words may seem like plenty, but you’ll likely find that space is at a premium when you’re trying to find the perfect formula to impress your chosen university.

Research a career in medicine before you apply

The key things that medical schools will be looking for are evidence of motivation, explorative work experience and suitability for fitting into their learning environment.

Your personal statement is not only an opportunity to demonstrate your motivations for studying medicine, but also to convey a sense of insight into medicine as a career. It is a chance to reflect on your experiences thus far and outline your personal qualities which will enable you to excel as both a medical student and future doctor.

Developing an understanding about the roles and responsibilities of a doctor will help you prepare your personal statement with ease. Volunteering in your local community and undertaking work experience placements are examples of activities which may allow you to gain a deeper insight into medicine. However, reading official resources such as those produced by the General Medical Council (GMC) before you even begin to think about the content of your personal statement, can help to give your writing a clear focus and direction.

Check how universities will use your personal statement 

Your personal statement may be used in the selection process for interviews to a varying degree by each medical school. Having said this, on the whole, personal statements do not feature heavily in the selection process for interview. Whilst this is the case for most medical schools in the UK, a few medical schools will utilise a scoring system to assess the personal statement at some point in their selection process; either before interview (for interview selection) or at the interview itself.

If this is the case for one or more of the universities you intend to apply to, pay careful attention to any details on their website which discuss exactly what the admissions team are looking for in a personal statement. For example, the University of Oxford place a larger emphasis on showing an interest in medical science and academia.

Where to find this information

It is important to check exactly how the medical schools you intend to apply to will use your personal statement both before and during the interview. To access the most relevant and up-to-date information you should check the websites for each of the medical schools you may apply to. If you have any queries about how your personal statement will be used, or if anything you find on their websites is unclear, email the admissions team directly.

Key things to remember about your personal statement 

Writing a personal statement can be daunting, but we are here to help make the process less stressful. To break it down, we have listed some essential factors you should remember to focus on when writing your own personal statement:

• Structure and flow: Creating a clear and organised structure allows the reader to follow your thought process and enables you, the writer, to include the most relevant information about yourself, given the restricted word count.
• Authenticity: The clue is in the title; your personal statement should be personal! Be genuine and honest about your experiences and skills and let your personality shine through your writing. 
• Relevance: With the limited word count, you need to include only the most relevant experiences and skills you have that are directly relevant to medicine. 
• Specificity: Provide details about your experiences and give examples. Avoid any vague and general statements. 

Goals and aspirations: You should mention your goals and aspirations and what you want to get out of a degree in medicine. What are your short-term and long-term goals?

The aim of this section is for you to establish a structure that works for you, by deciding what the main components of your personal statement will be about.

Before diving into finding the best structure for your personal statement, it is important to remember there is no set format or st ructure. Reading a few example statements may help to give you an idea of where you start ; however it is all about finding the right balance that is appropriate for you. This balance will be based on your personal experiences and what has been important in shaping your journey towards Medicine.

You should start your personal statement with a clear introduction and end with a conclusion .

DEVELOPING A STRUCTURE THAT WORKS FOR YOU

Here, we will focus on developing a structure for the main body of your personal statement. The importance of having a well-thought-out structure is that it will make your thoughts and experiences easier to follow. A good structure will help reinforce the key content of your statement, further giving admissions tutors the impression that you have a focused understanding of medicine and yourself. 

T here is no one way to structure the main body ; in fact , there are many ways! The components you discuss will differ according to your experiences, and the weighting given to these components will largely be based on what medical schools you apply to.

EXAMPLES OF PERSONAL STATEMENT STRUCTURE 

Here is an example of how to divide the main body of your personal statement:

• Interest in academia and wider reading
• Work experience and voluntary commitments
• Extra-curricular Activities

Remember, this is only one example. Alternatively, you could base your paragraphs on the qualities you want to demonstrate, such as:

• Interest in medicine, science, and academia
• Compassion, communication skills and empathy
• Leadership, teamwork and problem-solving

These ideas are here to prompt you, so work around them based on your experiences. If there is a particularly valuable quality, such as resilience, that you are passionate about and have relevant experiences in, of course , this should be included!

The idea of convincing an admissions tutor, in around 500 words, that you are an ideal prospective medical student can be overwhelming. This, as well as the fact that they will be reading through hundreds of personal statements of people applying for the same course, might make you feel pressured to have an introduction that will grab their attention and set you aside from the majority.

DON’T FOCUS TOO MUCH ON YOUR INTRODUCTION

A powerful introduction will state an intrinsic motivation to study medicine, whilst also outlining your understanding of the career. However, your reasons for wanting to pursue medicine do not have to be entirely crammed into your introduction. 

W hile there is no set length for an introduction, you should make sure it is not too short that it seems rushed and neglected, but not so long that it is the same size as the paragraphs of your main body. A few sentences should be sufficient for an introduction.

TRY STARTING WITH THE MAIN BODY FIRST

It might seem logical and necessary to begin by writing the introduction, but this is not the case! It is perfectly reasonable to work on other parts of your personal statement and return to write the introduction at a later point in time. Some people even find that once they have written the majority of their personal statement, they are able to pick out points they think will work well for their introduction.

• Be original: It is a personal statement , so keep it personal. It should accurately depict why you want to study medicine .
• Give examples: Stories can add to the personal element of motivation to study medicine but ensure that this comes across as genuine. Do not try and pin your motivation down to a single event as this can appear naïve . I nstead , state how this scenario was one of the elements that led you to pursue medicine.
• Use your time wisely: Do not spend all your time trying to think of a catchy opening. Remember that you can always come back to the introduction.
• Remember you have a word limit: Keep your statements succinct and to the point.
• Use a professional tone: Stay away from using humour as the person reading your personal statement may not receive it as well as you would hope. The aim is to be professional and put across your interest in medicine.

Keep in mind that depending on the interview style of the medical schools you are applying to; your personal statement can be used as part of your interview. They may pick out parts of your introduction and ask you to elaborate on them. 

C heck this beforehand and if applicable, remember this when stating your motivations to study medicine. If you would not be happy to talk about it in your interview, then avoid including it!

• Using cliché words and phrases such as ‘passionate’, ‘fascinated’ and ‘from a young age I have always wanted to’
• Using a quote without reflecting on how it adds to what you are trying to convey. If possible, avoid quotes and use your own words. After all, they are interested in what you have to say, not a scientist or author
• Making blank statements that do not add to what you are saying.
• Describing how TV shows attracted you to medicine, even if other reasons are raised, as this will reduce the power of your introduction.

Reflecting on your work experiences, wider reading and other relevant activities will form the bulk of the main body of your personal statement. Reflection is imperative to a successful application. A well-reflected personal statement shows that you have given serious thought to healthcare as a life-long career , and it goes down extremely well with the admission officers. The General Medical Council (GMC) has created a guide for medical students about reflection – most of the information is transferrable to medical applicants.

It is crucial to understand that the lessons and skills that you take away from an experience are far more superior to the number of activities you have undertaken or descriptions of consultations you may have seen. Therefore, this section will delve deeper into how you should reflect on an experience whilst undertaking it, as well as how this reflection can be incorporated concisely into your personal statement.

HOW TO REFLECT ON AN EXPERIENCE

Below are some general questions to think about when reflecting on any type of experience you have partaken in . R anging from clinical work experience placements to leadership roles, voluntary commitments, and par t-ti me jobs , you should ask yourself these questions when reflecting on your experiences.

• Description of the experience: W hat was your role? If you are telling a story, what happened , or what was the task at hand?
• Feelings and thoughts about the experience: What resonated with you or affected you the most?
• Analysis and evaluation of the experience: W hat went well and what didn’t? Which parts stood out to you? Did you have any challenging experiences? How did you deal with them?
• Conclusion and action plan: S ummary of what you learned and what you could have done differently . H ow could you relate this to your development as a doctor ?

HOW TO REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING

The following questions will help you reflect and think critically about learning experiences. This includes anything you have read, listened to, or watched to gain a deeper insight into the life of a medical student and/or doctor.

• Description: What is the idea or concept you have been exposed to?
• Feelings and thoughts about what you have learned: What resonated with you or affected you the most?
• Analysis: Is there anything that drew your attention or anything you found challenging? Does this build upon what you had previously known or read about? Has it changed the way you think, opened your eyes to something new, or made you more confident and assured in a belief you already had?
• Conclusion and action plan: What other avenues of this concept would you like to explore? How can you implement what you’ve learned in your clinical practice?

HOW TO INCLUDE REFLECTION IN YOUR MEDICINE PERSONAL STATEMENT

Before you sit down and start typing away at your statement, we highly suggest that you first read through all of the reflective notes you wrote when undertaking any experience or activity that gave you an insight into medicine. This will allow you to look back at all of the wonderful experiences you have had and focus on the key points you can take away from them.

REFLECTION METHODS TO TRY

There are so many different approaches you can take to reflective writing in your personal statement , and different people prefer different methods. For example, you can structure your reflection according to Gibb’s reflective cycle . Another approach is the ‘STARR’ framework , which stands for ‘Situation, Task, Action, Result and Reflection’ . This is often a favourite among applicants for medicine interviews but can also be used in the personal statement to write structured reflections.

• S ituation: What is the setting in which you have undertaken your experience?
• T ask: What was the position or role you held?
• A ction: What actions did you specifically carry out on a regular basis?
• R esults: What was the most relevant and significant outcome of your activities?
• R eflection: What skills and knowledge have you acquired as a result of this activity? How and why had this experience influence d you?

Work experience can be loosely defined as any activity that is designed to sufficiently broaden your understanding of a particular career path. The aim of this section is to provide you with examples of the different types of work experiences you can undertake and how you should go about reflecting on them in your personal statement.

WHY IS MEDICAL WORK EXPERIENCE IMPORTANT?

Most students will feel that work experience gives the most realistic perspective of medicine as a career. Through shadowing in consultations, watching surgeries, and perhaps even just being in a clinical environment, you will start to build your understanding of the role of a doctor. 

A pplying to medical school is a huge commitment, so exploring the working life of a physician is definitely a wise thing to do. Work experience allows you to gain valuable skills that may be useful throughout your university life and your career as well.

WHAT IS THE AIM OF WORK EXPERIENCE?

W ork experience is evidence to show that you have taken the time to find out more about the realities of a career in medicine. Therefore, it is a vital aspect of not only the personal statement but your medical school application as a whole. The purpose and overall aim of your work experience will broadly fall into one or more of the following categories:

• To understand the realities of life as a doctor and medical student
• To develop the skills and qualities needed for a career in medicine
• To acquire more knowledge about your particular interests

TRADITIONAL MEDICINE WORK EXPERIENCE

Firstly, we will consider traditional in-person work experience activities, which are usually undertaken in a healthcare environment. This can include hospital, general practi c e, or pharmacy shadowing placements, as well as voluntary roles in a care home or hospice. To make the most out of these types of experiences, we would recommend the following:

• Listen to the types of questions that healthcare professionals use when taking a history or interacting with patients. What did you think about their interactions with patients? How do they adapt their communication style?
• Ask questions. This is an opportunity to ask all those burning questions ; don’t be shy! If possible, ask questions to a wide range of health care professionals about each of their individual roles as well as their experiences working in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Research one of the common conditions that you have seen during your placement and are interested in finding out more about it.

The above points will form the basis of your reflection, so it is important to start thinking about them as you go along with your work experience. Keep a reflective diary to jot down these thoughts and experiences. This diary will become especially useful when sitting down to write your personal statement.

TIPS FOR WRITING ABOUT MEDICAL WORK EXPERIENCE

• Mention the transferrable skills and attributes you will have developed. Skills such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving and resilience in the face of adversity are vital to a career in medicine.
• State clearly the insights you have gained. For example, as the GP demonstrates active listening and shows empathy, you will see that the patient immediately opens up and gives more information , which will be helpful in establishing a diagnosis. If this resonates with you, include this in your personal statement.
• It is important to show that you understand the challenges a doctor will face. Be sure to reflect on any negative experiences which made you more aware of the demanding nature of the profession. What could have been done differently in the scenario you witnessed?
• Be as concise as possible . D escriptions should be kept to a minimum. It is more important to highlight your thoughts, understanding and values before and after an experience, rather than details about the experience itself.
• Viewing medical work experience as merely a tick box exercise. Try not to view work experience as a requirement for university statements or interviews. Instead, you should view this as a learning opportunity for yourself so that you can develop both academically and personally. If you have this mindset, you will be able to truly discover a lot more about the subject and about yourself too!
• Concerning yourself too much with the medical jargon and knowledge you come across during your work experience, whether in-person or virtual. Focus on the attitudes and transferrable skills, and definitely do try to explore the science , but ultimately , medical school will teach you the required knowledge for your career
• Breaching confidentiality when writing about your work experience, whether it be in your personal statement or reflective diary. This means that you do not include any identifiable information in your personal statement, such as, ‘I witnessed Mr Smith undergoing an ECG’.

Volunteering is the idea of offering your time or skills to benefit an unrelated person or organisation with no formal payment in return.

Relevant volunteering can be considered a form of work experience and can significantly enhance your personal statement. Whilst grades are important, medical schools are also highly interested in students who exhibit genuine care and compassion. 

Doing voluntary work can highlight this side of you and give some insight into the life of a doctor, which is very much a caring profession. Volunteering can assist you in developing the necessary skills and qualities relevant to medicine.

EXAMPLES OF VOLUNTEERING ROLES

The types of volunteering roles and commitments you can include in your personal statement, can vary extensively. Moreover, the volunteering you have undertaken does not need to be within a healthcare setting. It is more important that you can reflect on your experiences and appreciate how the skills you have developed are relevant to career in medicine. Below are just some examples of voluntary roles you may include in your personal statement:

• Carehome/hospice volunteer
• Hospital volunteer
• School mentor
• Charity shop assistant
• Youth group coordinator
• Foodbank volunteer

TIPS FOR WRITING ABOUT VOLUNTARY ROLES

• Emphasise any long-term or frequent volunteering commitments. This shows commitment to medicine and determination. Whilst long-term volunteering is favoured, do not worry if you were unable to complete any due to the pandemic!
• Use buzzwords alluding to the relevant skills and qualities learnt. Examples of buzzwords can include “contributed”, “enhanced” and “implemented”. 
• Discuss briefly how you found any volunteering opportunities , especially if you organised it yourself. This shows initiative! If an opportunity is extremely rare or competitive, make sure to highlight this.
• Group together experiences where you gained similar skills and insights, rather than discussing multiple experiences individually. This can get messy and take up a lot of your time
• Speak about your feelings and emotions during your volunteering! This shows you are human and comes across much more genuine and sincere.
• Clearly state your contribution and actions , not someone else’s!
• Discuss any sacrifices, mistakes, or challenges you faced during your volunteering. Also , make sure you are prepared to describe what you did/would do differently to overcome these challenges!
• Rambling on about experiences . U se the STARR structure to organise thoughts. Keep it concise!
• Writing a long list of all the voluntary roles you have ever held. Focus on one or two that you benefitted from greatly and reflect on them.
• Repeating experiences, certain insights, or qualities. Demonstrate variety in what you have learned.
• Lie or exaggerate any details!
• Superficially state what happened. If you are able to, delve further into your thoughts before, during and after volunteering.

When it comes to extra-curriculars, it ’s easy to get confused on what you should include and how to include it in your personal statement. As an aspiring medic, you might have done many different activities at school (and outside) that may be related or seemingly have nothing to do with each other. This could range from part-time jobs to being a prefect in your school, societies, clubs , or even your personal hobbies or sporting interests.

HOW TO WRITE ABOUT EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES 

In your personal statement, a great way to tie it all together is to use your activities to reflect on how they made you the person you are today. Instead of simply listing all of your positions or engagements, think about what qualities you were able to gain from them that would make you a better doctor. 

A mong others, qualities like compassion, empathy, time management, organisation, critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership are essential in medicine, but they’re not necessarily born in a hospital or through direct engagement in clinical experiences. You have probably been doing some of these activities for a really long time, now let’s frame it in a different context for your application.

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

In a large pool of applicants, it is easy to think , ‘ H ave I done enough?’. Sometimes, this can be the wrong question to ask, as most medical schools do not look at the ‘number’ of things you have done but rather how the things you’ve done can help you as a doctor. 

D o not worry if you have not done a lot of activities in your time at school. The number of things you’ve done doesn’t matter as much as:

• What you’ve learned from them
• How you’ve reflected on them
• What moments and experiences you can improve on
• How you’ve later developed as a person and an aspiring medic based on those experiences

WHAT GOES WHERE?

With a limited number of characters, every word counts. You want to make sure you make the most of everything you have done, but at the same time , frame it in the most effective way for your application. This is why you might want to focus on some activities over others or group some activities together to give yourself space to write about and reflect on your experiences in a more elaborate way and relate them to your future career. There are many ways you can group your activities, mainly either by the type of activity ( e.g., academic, sports, or volunteering ) or based on what qualities or skills you’ve developed as a result of partaking in this activity.

SHOULD I INCLUDE MY HOBBIES?

The short answer is yes if you want to, but – make sure you’re not just taking up space by listing them. You don’t need to elaborate on them too much if you don’t want to, but try to strike the balance so as to show the admissions committee you value your time spent doing these hobbies, but at the same time you’re not taking away from all the other elements of your personal statement. You could also relate them to having a work-life balance – an essential trait in medicine.

TIPS FOR WRITING ABOUT EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

• Use your experiences to highlight your strengths and your skills. How did your activity help you develop a unique skill?
• Focus on the activities that have benefited you the most.
• Elaborate with insight and introspection on the activities you’ve chosen to focus on.
• Group other activities together to help you use your limited characters where they matter most.
• Listing things you have done without further elaborating on them.
• Elaborating on every single activity or being repetitive – if they sound similar, group them, or take some out if you don’t think they’re important.
• Faking interest or passion in something you do not actually like or mention ing an activity you did not really do. It takes away from the space you have to talk about things you are passionate about, which is a lot more valuable and impactful.

This is your final chance to make an impression on the admissions tutor, so make it count! The aim of your conclusion should be to tie together the key points that you included in the main body of your personal statement. Along with the introduction, this is one of the most difficult parts to write, so writing both at the end, after you have a coherent idea of the flow of your piece is advisable.

Ideally, it should only be a few sentences long. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to revisit your conclusion multiple times before submitting. It is important to end on a confident note by expressing a real passion for medicine.

TIPS FOR WRITING YOUR CONCLUSION 

• Summarise and reiterate your key points: Include s kills, experiences, and interests and how these make you suitable for studying medicine. For example, if your experiences have taught you the importance of resilience, how will this skill help you to progress in your future career?
• Mention the takeaway points: What do you want the admission tutor to remember about you ?
• Revisit your conclusion and read it aloud to yourself: Reading it out to yourself and others helps to determine if you’re being concise and getting straight to the point without waffling.
• Write a couple of drafts: By writing different versions of your conclusion, you might find various ways of conveying the same idea, some that you like more than others. This will help you write the best conclusion to suit you.
• Acknowledge the difficulties and demanding nature of studying medicine: Studying medicine can be difficult, but you are equipped with the skills to handle this! You should showcase how the skills you’ve developed will assist you in overcoming difficulties .This will show you are the ideal candidate for studying medicine.
• Writing a conclusion that is too long. You will probably find that the 4000 – character limit of the personal statement will restrict the length of your conclusion. So ideally, one or two succinct sentences should be more than enough to summarise.
• Introducing completely new points – you do not want to leave the admissions tutor confused by bringing in new ideas that you cannot elaborate on further.
• As with the introduction, avoid clichés and quotes.
• Avoid repeating sentences from the main body of the personal statement.
• Avoid making your conclusion too specific to one university. For example, don’t mention a particular teaching style if it is not offered by all the universities that you are applying for.

Now that you have written your personal statement, the hard part is over, right? Well, in all honesty , you might find yourself spending more time editing your personal statement than writing it! It is important to give yourself enough time to perfect your personal statement before the deadline. 

O ur advice at this point is – before you start editing, put your personal statement away. By the time you have finished writing, you will have read and re-read it countless times in the process. You need to take the time away from it to get a fresh look. This will be invaluable when you start editing.

SPELLING, PUNCTUATION, AND GRAMMAR

First things first, triple-check that your word processor has spell-check on with UK English, so that you can correct any spelling mistakes. It may sound obvious; however, technology can often malfunction!

You are a school-age pupil, so the piece should sound like you wrote it. It does not have to sound like you have taken letter-writing classes and have used a thesaurus on every other word. However, you also need to come across as professional. It is best not to use contractions such as don’t (do not), as it is too informal. Make sure you have used a combination of long and short sentences so that it has structure, as well as making sure every sentence doesn’t start with ‘I’.

READ YOUR STATEMENT OUT ALOUD

There are many ways of making sure your personal statement reads well. One method, which is particularly helpful is to read your personal statement aloud to someone else. It becomes very obvious when a sentence is too long and does not flow or make sense when you say it aloud. The person listening will be able to tell you which parts do not sound right. 

W hen we write, we often overestimate how well the writing sounds because you will , of course , know what you meant to say. However, to another person and the admissions team reading it – you want them to know exactly what you mean, rather than having to decode paragraphs that are not crystal clear .

You could try asking an English teacher at your school, or a friend who is studying English to read through it. The spelling, grammar and syntax are independent of the content , so this could be really useful in ensuring it flows well.

SEEKING ANOTHER OPINION

Whilst it may seem tempting to gain as many opinions as possible on your personal statement, it is better to seek the advice of a few trusted individuals. The medicine personal statement is , by nature , a subjective piece of writing. Having too many people read your personal statement and suggest changes, can become quite confusing and stressful very quickly! Here’s how you can avoid this situation: 

• Make sure you are close to your final draft before giving your personal statement to someone else to read. However, still ensure you have enough time to make changes.
• If your school has a careers advisor or team of teachers familiar with reading personal statements, it is worth having your personal statement read and critiqued by them.
• When listening to feedback from others, consider all you can get, but don’t be afraid to not include all the feedback you receive since your personal statement should be truly reflective of only you.
• If you would really like a raw opinion, find a way to have a teacher read it anonymously ! The admissions tutor will be reading your personal statement with no knowledge of who you are. If you want someone to read your personal statement with no knowledge of your background, print off a copy with your details omitted.

TIPS TO SHORTEN YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT

• Do not waste characters writing about things that are elsewhere on your UCAS form. For example, your A-level (or equivalent) choices can all be entered in the qualifications section.
• Remove unnecessary adverbs such as somewhat, rather, sometimes, fairly, pretty really, quite, basically, hopefully, luckily.
• Use the verb form of a word over the noun form – this should reduce words. For example, ‘I created a MedSoc’ vs ‘A MedSoc was created by me’
• Print off your personal statement to edit and cut words. Print it off in a different font to the one you typed it in. This will provide an experience of looking at your personal statement with ‘fresh eyes’.
• Use the ‘Build, Blur, Corrode’ method to identify the weakest parts of your personal statement.
• If you cannot bear to cut sentences, copy and paste them into a document called ‘Scrap’ , that way you know exactly where to find them if you were to want to add them again.
• When focusing on a specific paragraph, copy it into a new blank document and separate each sentence with a line between them. Use this technique to perfect each individual sentence and identify those that are too long.
• When retelling encounters from your work experience, details of what exactly happened are not always necessary!

YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT IS READY TO GO

Once you’ve followed the steps and tips we have outlined, your personal statement is all ready to be submitted. You’ve finished another step in your application to med school! You’re essentially mid-way through the application process ; you should be proud of yourself that you have made it this far. 

Next, you should think about references from your teachers and prepare yourself for a medical school interview. Interviews can be intimidating, but don’t worry! We have created a guide to help you understand the process and how to complete the interviews to the best of your ability. 

HOW PREMED CAN HELP YOU

If you need some work experience to help enhance your med school application, we are here to help! At Premed, we offer in-person and online work experience to ensure you get a taste of life in the medical field. Boost your chances of getting into medical school by applying to one of our work experience courses today.

What should a medicine personal statement include?

When writing a personal statement for medicine, you should focus on including relevant work experience and any volunteer work. The majority of your writing should focus on these aspects as it is important to reflect on your experiences and how this makes the ideal candidate to study medicine. You may also want to include a few short sentences about some extra-curricular activities you partake in as well. 

What should you not say in a medical personal statement?

Don’t be generic about why you want to study medicine. You should demonstrate you have a passion for helping people by providing examples through any work experience or volunteering. Remember, an admissions tutor will read hundreds of personal statements so your application needs to be personal to you. 

Additionally, don’t provide general statements about your skills and experiences or simply list them. You should reflect on your experience and skills by supplying concrete examples to support your statements. This will show you can demonstrate these skills, enhancing your application. 

What do medical schools want in a personal statement?

What your personal statement should contain may differ from university to university but there are some common trends. For example, you should focus on writing about your skills and work experience and reflect on what you have learned from them. It is also ideal to state you understand what a career in medicine entails and how you are prepared to manage the challenges that come with a career in medicine. 

How should I structure my personal statement?

There are several ways you can structure a personal statement, there is no set structure! The way you write your personal statement should be personal to you based on your own experiences. An example of how you can structure your personal statement is:

Another example of a personal statement structure is: 

• Interest in academia and medicine
• Group of skills related to each other (e.g., compassion, empathy and communication)
• Another group of skills related to each other (e.g., leadership, teamwork and problem-solving)

Remember, you also need to include an introduction and conclusion! 

How long should a personal statement be?

You have a limit of 4,000 characters for your personal statement based on UCAS guidelines . This is equivalent to approximately 550-1,000 words. This shows you need to be precise with what you include in your personal statement as you are limited by the words you have. 

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

Home » Application Guide » Medicine Personal Statement Examples – King’s College London (Thomas)

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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 Thomas, who studies Medicine at King’s College London.

Thomas applied to study medicine back in 2018 at four amazing UK medical schools, including Bristol and Southampton . He received offers from 3 out of his four choices, of which he chose to study at King’s College London .

Let’s read the personal statement that got him a place at KCL, 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 .

King's College London Medicine Personal Statement Example

Whole personal statement.

My ambition to study medicine is driven by the interest in a career combining a deep understanding of the human body and clinical practice whilst having ultimate responsibility for a patient. It was my personal experience of a neurosurgical operation 5 years ago, seeing the determination of the surgeon who facilitated my recovery which inspired me to help people in the same way doctors helped me and to seek work experience to further my understanding of a career in medicine.

Work experience at the John Radcliffe Hospital aided my understanding of what being a doctor entails by shadowing doctors in neurosurgical and ENT departments. I noticed how doctors were under constant pressure to see as many patients as possible in a limited timeframe. The rational thinking behind each decision a doctor made was important when prioritising the sickest patients hence the ability to make quick and accurate decisions under pressure and working in a multidisciplinary team were necessary skills to achieve an optimal outcome for the patient. It was amazing to see how a critically ill child could make a full recovery demonstrating the impact of a doctor’s actions upon someone’s life.

Work experience at a GP surgery showed me the importance of communication skills when consulting patients. This enabled the GP to put the patient at ease by explaining their diagnosis in simple terms so they can understand their condition. This led me to read “Do No Harm,” by British neurosurgeon Henry Marsh. He gave an emotional account of how not everyone can be helped or, after help has been given, the desired outcome wasn’t reached. This accentuated the need for doctors to be resilient and compassionate to patients and their relatives. Studying both biology and chemistry helped me to write an extended essay on how efficient cannabidiol (CBD) is at preventing epileptic seizures. This is highly topical with the UK in the process of legalising CBD to treat those with refractory epilepsy. Reading research papers has introduced me to academic medicine and the role of a doctor as both a clinician and researcher. Studying ethics in A Level RS taught me how to use a moral framework when making decisions which can be transferred to medicine when applying GMC guidelines to clinical scenarios to achieve an optimal outcome for a patient.

Attending a MENCAP Summer Camp and volunteering weekly at a care home provided valuable insights into a different side of the healthcare spectrum away from a hospital setting. Both involved working with vulnerable people which I found incredibly rewarding. MENCAP showed me the importance of empathy in handling difficult situations and the value of teamwork in overcoming problems. Volunteering at the care home taught me that ensuring the dignity of vulnerable people and respecting their capacity to make decisions were critical in allowing residents to live fulfilled lives.

Participating in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme gave me experience of working in and leading teams and adapting to new situations. I’m passionate about athletics and football, having represented my school in both sports helping me to become a more driven individual. Being a prefect and houseroom assistant has furthered my sense of responsibility enabling me to develop my organisational and communication skills through interacting with a diverse range of people. Playing both guitar and piano led me to electronic music production with my songs being played globally. This has enhanced my ability to work under pressure and my lateral thinking when solving problems. I’m committed to studying medicine so I have taken a year out to further develop skills relevant to medicine by working as a HCA. Working with doctors will allow me to appreciate their role in the wider healthcare team and will maximise my exposure to clinical environments. Whilst medicine is a challenging degree I’m confident that I have the academic ability and skills required to be successful at medical school.

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King's College London Medicine Personal Statement Example Analysis

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

INTRODUCTION

Introduction

My introduction is direct and states clearly the main reasons why I want to study medicine by linking more generic points (academic / communication / logical analysis) with a personal experience. I am able to very quickly justify why I am applying for this course, which allows me to save words later on that would have been spent trying to explain my interest in joining medicine as a career.

Structurally speaking, I could have broken down the sentences as they are quite hard to read due to their length. However, the main issue here is that this is too large and expansive for a personal statement introduction. The introduction should be fairly general (but personal too) rather than exploring areas such as work experiences . In some cases, a work placement may also be the true beginning of your medical journey but typically, you should use the introduction as a way to begin your story. While I frame my experience watching surgery as the start of my journey, this really wasn’t the case as I had an interest in medicine long before I entered that theatre. This unfortunately just feels out of place.  

Paragraph 1

The first paragraph of my personal statement immediately focuses on my own personal experience during my shadowing placement instead of mentioning more general broad points (which have already been addressed in the intro paragraph). I have demonstrated that I not only managed to arrange some experience myself but also what I took away from it in terms of the skills required to be a good doctor . The key strength of this paragraph is my reflection on the experience and the things I had seen. The way that I describe my time there and what I learned shows that I really paid attention to what was happening around me and that I was able to come to a sensible conclusion about what is required to be in this industry. Reflection is key to a good personal statement, so always go beyond the surface level when discussing your experiences.

To improve this paragraph, I could have used examples to demonstrate how, in my own life, I have developed and used the skills which I saw in my placement (such as working under pressure and teamwork). This would show the admissions team that I have not only understood what skills are required to be a competent clinician but also that I am capable of utilising these skills myself in a practical and relevant manner.  

Paragraph 2

This paragraph links a few different things together, including another shadowing experience, a book I have read related to medicine, my EPQ and ethical principles I have learnt through studying RS. This paragraph showed the admissions team that I understood medicine isn’t just about the academic theory but also about how you communicate and also how you make decisions using an ethical framework . One especially positive aspect of this is my ability to link all of these different topics in a way that feels connected and relevant. Finding the connections between these different experiences and then explaining them shows a great deal of awareness that some applicants will lack. On top of this, many of the positives from the last paragraph continue here.

When reading the paragraph, it can feel overwhelming as it links quite a few things together and is generally just a very large block of text. I could have split the paragraph up in half and could have tried to link the different aspects in the paragraph better to help with the flow. It would have still had the same effect while also being much easier to read.  

Paragraph 3

This paragraph focuses on another staple of good medicine personal statements; my volunteering . It shows the admissions team that I am a well-rounded individual who has experience in care outside of the immediate medical field, while also demonstrating the skills that would very easily carry over to my studies and career. I demonstrate the different skills I have developed which are important in being a good doctor. One area that is especially important for me personally is the closing sentences where I discuss the human side of care and the empathy required to do well in the field. This is an incredibly important, and sometimes overlooked, side of medicine that any good medical professional needs to be skilled in. Medicine is as much a human topic as it is scientific, so demonstrating this early on proves that you have the right attitude to be in the medical field.  

When listing the different skills I have developed I could actually give an example for each to show the admissions team that I can actually back up what I say. Listing things will only get you so far without the proper evidence and personal reflection to prove you fully understand what you’re writing. I also could have developed the second part of the paragraph (about the care home) further. There was much more to this experience than what I had discussed, but with a limited word count, I felt there would be less value in expanding this section compared to the earlier paragraphs.

Paragraph 4

Participating in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme gave me experience of working in and leading teams and adapting to new situations. I’m passionate about athletics and football, having represented my school in both sports helping me to become a more driven individual. Being a prefect and houseroom assistant has furthered my sense of responsibility enabling me to develop my organisational and communication skills through interacting with a diverse range of people. Playing both guitar and piano led me to electronic music production with my songs being played globally. This has enhanced my ability to work under pressure and my lateral thinking when solving problems.

Here, I discuss my extra-curricular activities , another valuable area to explore as a way of showing off my skills which as less conventional in terms of medicine. The first benefit of this discussion is that it shows the admissions team that I am a well-rounded person who can cope with whatever medical school throws at me. Having additional hobbies and activities is not only a good way of showing you can cope with stress but they also show what you can bring to the university in a more general sense. It’s not only about your skills in medicine but your overall life skills. To add additional value to this discussion, I link these activities back to a skill which I have learned and developed through each. This links everything back to the application, showing why everything I have mentioned will make me a great student at their university.  

The paragraph feels a bit to much like a list without elaborating too much on any one topic. I could have mentioned fewer activities and tried to expand on them slightly as otherwise, it does come across as though I am just trying to list a lot of different things at the end. I could have also been a bit more explicit in how these skills link back to medicine and the qualities of a good doctor specifically.

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I’m committed to studying medicine so I have taken a year out to further develop skills relevant to medicine by working as a HCA. Working with doctors will allow me to appreciate their role in the wider healthcare team and will maximise my exposure to clinical environments. Whilst medicine is a challenging degree I’m confident that I have the academic ability and skills required to be successful at medical school.

My conclusion is short and gets to the point quickly. I addressed the fact I am taking a year out and mentioned what I am planning to spend my time doing. It’s important to be upfront with the universities you’re applying to in regards to anything that may affect your studies. As long as you can justify these issues and potentially provide a solution or consolation, these won’t be deal breakers. My last sentence simply summarises what I have said in the rest of my PS by saying that whilst medicine is challenging I believe I have the skillset required to get through medical school. This is exactly what a final sentence should aim to do, so I believe mine is very successful and closes the personal statement off well.  

This conclusion is actually a part of the same paragraph as the last one, which in my opinion is a fairly big mistake. In hindsight, this should have been split in two which would have been a very easy issue to spot. Always be sure to review your work thoroughly as it’s very easy for a simple spelling mistake or structural issue to slip through the cracks.  

The conclusion does not link back to every part of the personal statement as well as it could have. Specifically, I could have tried to link back to the beginning and the middle parts of the statement a bit more to provide a synopsis of what I have already mentioned as otherwise, it can feel slightly detached. Although it’s important to consider that the conclusion shouldn’t take up too much of the word count, so simplifying things may be a better option.  

Final Thoughts

I believe I pack a lot into this personal statement without rushing or underselling any particular areas. I feel I spend the right amount of time on each section and provide a good amount of analysis and introspection in the parts that are most important. All of this analysis serves to demonstrate the knowledge and abilities that would make me an ideal candidate for their university, which is the whole point of the personal statement! Nearly everything I mention in my is personal – from my operation to my work experience which shows I have reflected upon these experiences.

There are areas in my personal statement where I could have expanded a bit more on my experiences as otherwise, it can come across as though I am trying to force random things into it. I noticed that sometimes I didn’t give examples of how I have demonstrated the skills I have seen by shadowing doctors on work experience. Providing examples is a way to justify mentioning these things, as they could otherwise be seen as meaningless additions used to pad out the word count or inflate your skillset in an impractical way. As well as this, a proper explanation can show that you understand exactly what is expected of a medical professional. Being aware of these requirements is incredibly important for being competitive as it’s easy to just assume that a lot of experience will make you a strong candidate. All of this would have reinforced why I am suitable for the course.

So there you have it! This personal statement helped Thomas get 3/4 offers in his application, which is almost perfect and gives you a great selection of options to pick from.  

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 Thomas 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! 

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Crafting Your Personal Statement for Residency: Examples and Critique

• August 22, 2024
• balance|ERAS|Residency
• Reviewed by: Amy Rontal, MD

If you’re starting on your ERAS personal statement, chances are you’re struggling with your “hook” (or introductory paragraph). We get it—”blank page syndrome” is real!

Rather than turning to ChatGPT to write your essay for you, we’re here to help you get over writer’s block with a full personal statement example, plus some tips to help you critique your own!

Take this intro for example:*

“Imagine this scenario: I am standing in the ER at 2 a.m., surrounded by chaos, with a critically ill patient in front of me . In this moment, everything I have learned about medicine seems to converge. I am brought back to a fateful summer evening when I was five years old, sitting beside my younger sister as she struggled to breathe, her severe asthma casting a shadow of fear over our family.

The helplessness I felt then mirrors the urgency I now face in the ER, but back then, the calm expertise of the pediatrician who brought relief to my sister left a profound impact on me. Those early experiences planted the seed of a calling that has grown through every life-altering moment since, shaping me into a physician who thrives in the very situations others shy away from. My journey into medicine wasn’t just a decision—it was a path forged by an early experience that led to a strong desire to help children and parents through challenging moments of their lives. Here’s why I am uniquely prepared to take on the challenges of residency.”

Why do I characterize this as a good introductory paragraph for a residency personal statement? Ask yourself: 

• Does it grab your attention?
• Does it hint what specialty the applicant is applying for?
• Does it make you want to continue reading?

This introduction does a good job at all three, which is essential for your residency personal statement. 

We’ll dive into the rest of the essay shortly and give it a full review, but first, let’s first take a quick look at why your personal statement is such an important part of your application, plus some general “do’s” and “don’ts” when it comes to writing your own. 

* The personal statement included in this post is a sample created for illustrative purposes only. The content and details provided are fictional and do not reflect any real individuals or their personal statements. However, the advice and guidelines demonstrated in this sample are based on real and applicable best practices for an effective personal statement.

Personal Statement for Residency: Examples of What Makes a Strong Essay

Crafting a standout personal statement for your ERAS application is crucial. This is your opportunity to present yourself as more than just grades and scores—your personal statement allows you to convey your unique background and journey into medicine, your drive and passion for the field, along with your suitability for the specialty you’re applying to. 

Let’s begin with the “do’s” when it comes to writing a personal statement. 

1. Weave a story with a compelling narrative.

As we saw with our sample introductory paragraph, it’s good to share a personal story or experience that inspired your interest in the specialty. This could be a patient interaction, a research experience, or a personal health journey. Make sure to tie it to whichever medical speciality you apply to. 

2. Reflect and answer the question: why this specialty?

Delve into the reasons you’re drawn to the specialty you’re pursuing. Think about and share the moments in your medical training that resonated with you and reinforced your desire to pursue this particular field. Was it the complexity of cases in internal medicine, the immediacy of care and decision making in emergency medicine, or the holistic approach in family medicine that attracted you?

Share a specific experience, clinical rotation, or patient interaction that solidified your interest. Show, don’t just tell, by which I mean instead of stating you’re compassionate or dedicated, illustrate these traits through specific examples. Describe how a particular event (or events) shaped your perspective on medicine.

3. Explain any red flags and showcase personal growth and development.

Mention any significant challenges or setbacks and how you overcame them, demonstrating resilience and adaptability, which are key traits for any resident. Discuss how adversity added layers to your character, and while addressing weaknesses in your application , do so honestly and reflect on what you learned from those experiences.

4. Highlight specific skills and qualities. 

Consider the skills and qualities that are particularly important in your chosen specialty. Are you a strong communicator, adept at working in teams, or particularly skilled in procedures? Provide examples of how you’ve demonstrated these skills in your clinical experiences.

5. Discuss your personal interests. 

Don’t shy away from discussing your interests outside of medicine if they contribute to your unique perspective or approach to healthcare. Whether it’s a passion for global health, a background in engineering, or a dedication to community service, these aspects can differentiate you from other candidates.

Alternatively, you can articulate your career goals and how the residency program will help you achieve them. Whether you aim to work in academic medicine, contribute to public health, or specialize further, make sure your goals are specific and aligned with the training the program offers.

6. Have a strong concluding paragraph. 

End your personal statement with a strong closing that ties back to your introduction. Reinforce your passion for the specialty and express enthusiasm about the possibility of contributing to and growing within the residency program.

7. Ensure your statement is free of grammatical errors, typos, and is clearly written. 

Have multiple sets of eyes review it for clarity and impact. 

Personal Statement for Residency: Examples of Pitfalls to Avoid

And now, let’s review the “don’ts” when it comes to writing your residency personal statement. 

Be sure to avoid the following: 

1. Don’t rehash your CV.

There’s no need for your personal statement to be a reiteration of your medical CV . Instead, focus on experiences that have profoundly shaped your career choices or that demonstrate your values and personality. Provide insight into your motivations and reflections that cannot be gleaned from your CV alone.

2. Avoid clichés or generic statements. 

Phrases like “I’ve always wanted to be a doctor” or “I’m a hard worker” are overused and don’t differentiate you from other applicants. Such statements don’t provide any new or unique information about you.

Instead, try to be specific and personal. Use anecdotes that illustrate your qualities and experiences, and explain how these moments have contributed to your decision to pursue a particular specialty and what you can contribute to the program. 

3. Don’t be overly humble or self-deprecating. 

While it’s important to avoid arrogance, being excessively humble or self-critical can undermine your accomplishments and suggest a lack of confidence. Residency programs are looking for candidates who can recognize their strengths.

Strike a balance by confidently discussing your achievements, while acknowledging areas where you continue to grow. Show that you’re self-aware and willing to learn, but also that you’re proud of your accomplishments.

4. Don’t ignore the specialty you’re applying for.

Failing to tailor your personal statement to the specific residency program or specialty can make you appear indifferent or undecided. Generic statements about the field of medicine suggest a lack of genuine interest or understanding of the specialty.

Instead, research the specialty and the specific program you’re applying to, and clearly articulate why you’re drawn to it. Mention aspects of the program that align with your career goals and explain why you’re a good fit.

5. Don’t write about irrelevant or inappropriate topics.

Including topics that are not relevant to your medical career, such as personal relationships, or overly dramatic life events that don’t tie into your professional journey, can distract from the purpose of the personal statement.

Rather, write about experiences and reflections that directly relate to your path in medicine and the specialty you’re pursuing. Keep the narrative professional, and ensure that every story or point you include serves to reinforce your suitability for the program.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you can craft a personal statement that is compelling, professional, and reflective of your unique journey in medicine.

ERAS Personal Statement Example 

Now that you have a bit more background on what (and what not) to do when it comes to a residency personal statement, let’s get back to our sample personal statement and review it. While fictional, the advice and guidelines demonstrated in this sample are based on real and applicable best practices for an effective personal statement. 

Here’s the full essay (again, fictional and for illustrative purposes only!):

T he helplessness I felt then mirrors the urgency I now face in the ER, but back then, the calm expertise of the pediatrician who brought relief to my sister left a profound impact on me. Those early experiences planted the seed of a calling that has grown through every life-altering moment since, shaping me into a physician who thrives in the very situations others shy away from. My journey into medicine wasn’t just a decision—it was a path forged by an early experience that led to a strong desire to help children and parents through challenging moments of their lives. Here’s why I am uniquely prepared to take on the challenges of residency.”

As I progressed through medical school, my experiences led me towards pediatrics. During my rotations, I found myself energized by the unique challenges of caring for children and deeply moved by the resilience they often showed in the face of illness. I recall one particular case I was a part of, a four-year-old boy with a complex congenital heart defect. His journey was one of numerous surgeries and hospitalizations, but through it all, his spirit remained unbroken. The bond I developed with him and his family over months of care was unlike anything I had experienced in other rotations. I realized that in pediatrics, we are not just treating the patient, but the entire family. This holistic approach to care, where empathy, patience, and communication are as crucial as clinical acumen, resonated with me deeply.

Throughout my medical training, I sought out experiences that would prepare me for a career in pediatrics. I volunteered at community health fairs, providing care and education to underserved populations, and I spent a summer working in a rural pediatric clinic, where I saw firsthand the disparities in healthcare access. These experiences reinforced my commitment to advocating for children’s health, particularly in vulnerable populations. I also pursued research in pediatric infectious diseases, contributing to a study on vaccine efficacy in immunocompromised children. This work deepened my understanding of the delicate balance between innovation in treatment and the importance of prevention in pediatrics.

What excites me most about a career in pediatrics is the opportunity to be a constant in a child’s life, helping them grow and thrive from infancy through adolescence. I am drawn to the diversity of the field, from preventive care in well-child visits to managing complex chronic conditions. I am also eager to work in a setting that values collaboration, where I can learn from a multidisciplinary team and contribute to the well-being of children in a meaningful way. I am particularly interested in pursuing a residency at a program that emphasizes community involvement and provides opportunities for advocacy and research, as I believe these are integral components of pediatric care.

I recognize that pediatrics requires not only a deep well of medical knowledge but also a capacity for empathy and patience. My experiences have equipped me with the resilience needed to face the emotional and physical demands of this field. I am committed to continuous learning and growth, and I am excited about the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to become a compassionate and effective pediatrician.

As I look ahead to the challenges and opportunities of residency, I am filled with a sense of purpose and eager to dedicate my career to the care of children and their families, to be the reassuring presence they need during difficult times, and to contribute to their health and well-being. Pediatrics is not just a specialty for me—it is the fulfillment of a lifelong passion, rooted in my earliest experiences and nurtured through years of education and training. I am ready to embark on this journey and to give my best to the children who will one day be under my care.”

Personal Statement Critique

Let’s review the essay above, so you can see what it got right and wrong. We’ll analyze it from the standpoint of the “do’s” when it comes to residency personal statements, and mention any shortcomings in connection to them.

1. Do: Start with a compelling narrative.

Success: The personal statement opens with a vivid memory from childhood, capturing the reader’s attention immediately. The story of the applicant’s sister’s asthma attack is a powerful way to illustrate early exposure to pediatrics, making it memorable and emotionally engaging. 

Critique: While the narrative is strong, it’s important to avoid over-reliance on early childhood experiences as the primary motivator for a career choice. This personal statement strikes a good balance between the applicant’s medical school experiences and early childhood memories. 

 2. Do: Reflect on your journey.

Success: The statement effectively reflects on the applicant’s journey through medical school, particularly by highlighting their connection with a pediatric patient who had a congenital heart defect. This section does a good job of showing how the applicant’s interest in pediatrics deepened through hands-on experience. 

 3. Do: Align with specialty specific values.

Success: The applicant mentions a desire to work in a residency that emphasizes community involvement, advocacy, and research, which aligns with many pediatric programs’ missions.

 4. Do: Showcase your unique qualities.

Success: The applicant highlights a range of experiences, including volunteering, rural clinic work, and research, which add depth to their profile. These experiences demonstrate a commitment to pediatrics and to serving underserved populations. 

5. Do: Finish strong. 

Success: The applicant concludes with a clear vision for their future in pediatrics, expressing a desire to contribute to the health and well-being of children through a holistic approach. 

Critique: While the vision is clear, the conclusion could be stronger by reiterating the connection between the applicant’s past experiences and future aspirations. A tie in to the intro paragraph would dovetail nicely. 

Overall, this personal statement is nice to read, with a compelling narrative and clear reflection on the applicant’s journey into pediatrics. It effectively conveys passion and a commitment to pediatric care, particularly in underserved communities.

However, it could be improved by making more connections between early experiences and current goals. There was no mention of any red flags or delays in education, which leads me to believe the applicant didn’t have any. However, if they did, then it should’ve been addressed in the personal statement. 

Final Thoughts

When writing a personal statement for residency, examples can really help illustrate what distinguishes a good essay from a bad one. Hopefully, these examples and tips give you a good sense of what should be included in your residency personal statement.

Good luck with your applications, and be sure to reach out to Blueprint’s residency counselors if you have any questions!

About the Author

Mike is a driven tutor and supportive advisor. He received his MD from Baylor College of Medicine and then stayed for residency. He has recently taken a faculty position at Baylor because of his love for teaching. Mike’s philosophy is to elevate his students to their full potential with excellent exam scores, and successful interviews at top-tier programs. He holds the belief that you learn best from those close to you in training. Dr. Ren is passionate about his role as a mentor and has taught for much of his life – as an SAT tutor in high school, then as an MCAT instructor for the Princeton Review. At Baylor, he has held review courses for the FM shelf and board exams as Chief Resident.   For years, Dr. Ren has worked closely with the office of student affairs and has experience as an admissions advisor. He has mentored numerous students entering medical and residency and keeps in touch with many of them today as they embark on their road to aspiring physicians. His supportiveness and approachability put his students at ease and provide a safe learning environment where questions and conversation flow. For exam prep, Mike will help you develop critical reasoning skills and as an advisor he will hone your interview skills with insider knowledge to commonly asked admissions questions.

Guides & Info

Medicine Personal Statement Examples

Last updated: 29/6/2023

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

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

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

In this article, we will:

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

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

What you'll find in this article:

Personal statement example 1 – introduction

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

To get into medical school , your personal statement should:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The stronger parts of this introduction include the following:

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

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

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

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

The better features of this example are:

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

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

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

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

Better aspects of this example:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Strong personal statement example analysis

Introduction.

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

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

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

Paragraph 2 

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

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

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

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

P aragraphs 3 and 4 

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

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

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

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

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

Paragraphs 5 and 6 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Weak personal statement example analysis

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

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

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

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The Aspiring Medics

How to write a medicine personal statement, 📝 your guide to writing a fantastic medical school personal statement:.

📘 Delve deep into your motivations and aspirations for a career in medicine. Your personal statement is a crucial part of your UCAS application, going beyond academic achievements to showcase who you are and why you are passionate about medicine.

✏️ Key Points to Include:

Reflect on the responsibilities and challenges of healthcare.

Show empathy, resilience, and dedication.

Highlight how your experiences have shaped your desire to make a difference.

Demonstrate self-awareness and growth through challenges.

✅ Make your personal statement stand out by emphasising your passion for helping others and how your unique qualities align with the values of the medical profession. Be authentic, honest, and make every word count to leave a lasting impression on admissions committees.

👀 What Admissions Tutors Look For:

📖 The following attributes are some general guidelines to aim for that are applicable to most medical schools, taken from the Medical Schools Council's website.

✅ Enthusiasm for Medicine:  Evidence of genuine interest and excitement about the field.

💻 Understanding of the Profession:  Awareness of what a career in medicine entails, beyond idealistic expectations.

💪 Commitment:  Long-term dedication as shown through volunteering, work experiences, or sustained engagement in relevant activities.

🤝 Suitability:  Skills such as empathy, communication, teamwork, and leadership that are essential for healthcare professionals.

For more information: https://www.medschools.ac.uk/media/2542/statement-on-core-values-to-study-medicine.pdf

🤓 However, every medical school is unique and will place different emphases on certain qualities. For example, Oxbridge, UCL and Imperial are known to have a more research-intensive course, whereas the course at Leicester allows students to meet patients from the very first week!

📚 Below is an example of desirable characteristics for Oxford, Cambridge and UCL, taken from their respective websites. It is a good idea to visit the webpages of the universities that you are applying to so that you can ensure that your personal statement is more aligned to their values.

👨🏻‍💻 The table below offers examples of phrases you can use for inspiration in your personal statement:

📚 structuring your personal statement:.

💬 Introduction:  Start with a compelling hook that captures your motivation for choosing medicine. This could be a personal anecdote, a pivotal moment, or a long-standing interest in a specific medical field.

📚 Academic Achievements:  Highlight how your studies have prepared you for a medical degree. Mention specific subjects, projects, or research that align with medical sciences.

🌟 Relevant Experiences:  Discuss your experiences in healthcare settings, such as shadowing doctors, working in care homes, or hospital volunteering. Explain what you learned from these experiences and how they reinforced your decision to pursue medicine.

🏆 Extracurricular Activities:  Include activities that demonstrate your leadership, teamwork, and communication skills. Explain how these skills are transferable to a career in medicine.

❗ Conclusion:  Conclude by summarising why you believe you are a suitable candidate for medical school. Reinforce your enthusiasm and readiness to embark on a demanding yet rewarding career path.

Try our automatic personal statement tailored feedback tool:

✍️ our tips for a strong personal statement.

Be Authentic and Personal:  Reflect your true self. Admissions tutors can tell when applicants are being insincere or embellishing the truth.

Be Specific:  Avoid vague statements. Use specific examples to demonstrate your skills and experiences.

Reflect on Your Experiences:  Don’t just list activities and achievements. Reflect on what you learned from them and how they have prepared you for a medical career.

Tailor Your Statement:  While the core of your statement can be similar, if you are applying to different schools, be aware of what each school might prioritise and tailor your statement accordingly.

🚫 Common Pitfalls to Avoid:

Avoid Clichés and Quotations:  Admissions tutors prefer your original words, not someone else's.

Avoid Repeating Information:  Your personal statement should complement, not repeat, your CV or application details.

Steer Clear of Controversial Topics:  Focus on your journey and aspirations in medicine, rather than controversial or unrelated topics.

Don’t Rush:  Start writing early. A rushed statement will likely be weaker, and tutors will notice a lack of effort and care.

🔍 Final Touches:

Proofread your statement several times and have it reviewed by mentors, advisors, or peers. Fresh eyes can catch errors and provide valuable feedback that you might have overlooked.

• 📝Personal Statement

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June 28, 2023

Teamwork in Medical School Admissions: How to Show You’ve Got It

In this post:

Why do medical schools value teamwork?

What is teamwork in medicine, patients and families as team members, teamwork and safety, how to show teamwork in your application.

• 10 ways to show your teamwork skills

When the Institute of Medicine Committee on Quality of Health Care in America published its 2000 report “ To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System ,” the authors attributed most medical errors to two key deficits: (1) a lack of communication and (2) dysfunctional teamwork. It appeared that the long-standing “doctor-as-captain-of-the-ship” paradigm led to such problems as physician burnout, poor relationships with nurses and staff, and arrogance toward patients’ preferences. Since the institute’s findings were published, medical leadership and training programs have been working to improve teamwork in medical practice and education . 

To better understand the problem, researchers looked at studies from commercial aviation, military, firefighting, and other rapid-response professions in which human error can result in the loss of lives. They found that in high-risk settings, teams make fewer mistakes than individuals do. When teamwork exercises were done to prepare for trauma, anesthesia, and labor and delivery emergencies, hospitals saw improved patient outcomes and fewer errors.

Physicians are now expected to work together with many other professionals when caring for patients. It takes more than one set of skills to solve most medical problems, and no one person can possess all the skills and knowledge required. For example, imagine you are a physician caring for Ms. W., a 35-year-old patient admitted six days earlier for a pulmonary embolism. During her stay, you discover she has a clotting disorder and must remain on anticoagulants for the rest of her life. However, she is uninsured and cannot afford the medication you prescribed. You also learn that the hospital wants you to send her home tomorrow. She is ready for discharge from a medical standpoint, but you are not sure how she will fare on her own.

Luckily, on the second day of Ms. W.’s admission, her nurse called social services, who helped her apply to a program that covers the cost of her medications. They also arranged for free home health visits during the first week after discharge to reduce the possibility that she will return to the emergency room. When your PA was rounding, she realized that Ms. W. has prediabetes, so a nutrition consult was called. The nutritionist discovered that Ms. W. is depressed and craving junk food because her favorite pastime, playing rugby, is now off-limits because of the blood thinners she takes. The nutritionist shared this information with the care coordinator, who arranged for Ms. W. to see an occupational therapist who could teach her safer ways to exercise. After a baseline mental and emotional health assessment, the discharge team arranged for Ms. W. to receive outpatient therapy to help her cope with her new health condition and limitations. 

As a physician, there is no chance you could have accomplished all this on your own. It took at least eight healthcare professionals, in addition to other hospital support staff, to make this patient’s discharge go smoothly. 

Clearly, physicians today rely on the input and expertise of many individuals to plan and coordinate post-hospital care. But perhaps the biggest change to the healthcare team is recognizing that the patient and their family are also vital team members. The patient needs to feel comfortable voicing their concerns and questions and making changes in their treatment plan, if needed. The patient’s family might be enlisted to perform wound care or other essential tasks, and can be educated on how to recognize a complication or side effect. Without their buy-in, treatments are often ineffective. As doctors, we can’t go home with our patients to make sure they are okay, but their families can.

In the past, medical training programs placed a low value on physician rest and wellness. The old attitude was that a dedicated physician could go for days without sleep. However, our increased awareness of the role that fatigue plays in medical error has led to improved safety laws. These days, med students and residents are required to leave the hospital and rest, while failures of programs to enforce these requirements can result in severe penalties. These changes require programs to focus on improved patient handoffs and team communication.

While patients might be concerned about their physician being unavailable, studies have shown that shared responsibility for patient care leads to greater satisfaction among nurses and other team members, as well as better patient outcomes. With a strong team in place, patients soon discover that someone will always be there and that their physician will be well rested and able to handle whatever challenges arise.

Medical school curricula now include dedicated teamwork training. Students and residents are taught how to effectively sign out patients to colleagues when they leave the hospital. Skills such as collaboration, overcoming conflict, prioritizing, and recognizing others’ strengths are explicitly taught and assessed. Students and residents practice code situations so that all team members know their role and can perform in high-stress situations. Med schools not only teach these effective teamwork traits, but they also screen for them at admission. The first place they look for the qualities needed for collaboration is in the teamwork essay.

If you are asked to write an essay about teamwork, first identify an experience when you worked with others (ideally within the past two years). Potential teamwork situations include volunteering , teaching, athletics, research, group projects in school, jobs in retail or the service industry, or other employment settings where working well with others is a key part of success. Passive situations such as shadowing, where you are not directly contributing, are not ideal for this essay.

If your team experienced conflict, describe how you overcame it, making sure to attribute the problem to shared communication issues rather than blaming an individual. If things went well, describe your channels of communication and how you shared in the decision-making. You might also mention people who were not directly on your team but who contributed to a successful outcome. In a work setting, were your customers part of your team? If you were teaching, did your students play a role in their learning? In a research project, did you get help from support staff? Be sure to show your awareness of your teammates’ different strengths and inputs. Medical schools seek people who recognize that the work of a team is better than that of a single individual. Show that you have that perspective.

The essay is only one way that schools identify your teamwork strengths. Admissions committees also look for evidence of teamwork in your activities, interview, and letters of recommendation. They will try to evaluate your ability to be flexible, to recognize and admit when you don’t know something, and to work well with others. 

Schools ultimately want medical students who are able to not only excel in their academics but also work toward a common goal without letting their ego get in the way. Above all, they want people who are comfortable working on a diverse team with a variety of strengths and skill sets. Only through teamwork can we give patients all the resources they need to regain or maintain their health. 

Ten ways to assess your teamwork skills

If you can answer “yes” to the following ten questions, you’re well on your way to having the teamwork skills medical schools want to see.

• Do you value the contribution of all team members?
• Are you flexible and willing to change direction when needed?
• Do you listen to and accept constructive criticism?
• Do you avoid blaming others and instead look to systems issues when there is conflict?
• Do you share credit with others generously?
• Are you comfortable in both leadership and non-leadership roles?
• Do you see the strengths of others as complementary to your own?
• Are you open to further developing your teamwork skills?
• Do you believe teams accomplish more than individuals?
• Is respect for others a part of your personal value system?

If you need help showcasing these skills in your medical school personal statement, activities, secondaries, and interviews, consider working with one of our expert Medical School Admissions Consultants . We’d be delighted to help you.

Since 2001, Cydney Foote has advised hundreds of successful applicants for medical and dental education, residency and fellowship training, and other health-related degrees. Admissions consulting combines her many years of creating marketing content with five years on fellowship and research selection committees at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She’s also shared her strategy for impressing interviewers in a popular webinar and written three books and numerous articles on the admissions process.  Want Cydney to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Four Tips for Highlighting Your Strengths in Your Application Essays
• The Importance of Teaching Management in Medical School , a podcast Episode 232
• Casper, A Situational Judgment Test: All You Need to Know , a podcast Episode 513

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• Medicine: How to Apply

Medicine: Writing your Personal Statement

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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!

• Course Structure
• Academic Entry & Age Requirements
• Selection Criteria
• Health & Fitness to Practise
• Application Checklist
• Application Process
• Introductory Reading
• Writing your Personal Statement
• Anatomy of a Personal Statement
• Graduate Applicants
• Mature Applicants
• International Applicants
• Mitigating circumstances
• Shortlisting Process and Admissions Statistics
• Fees and Funding

Tips and Tricks for the Personal Statement

by Dhakshana Sivayoganathan | Jul 17, 2020 | Educational Resources , Oxbridge Resource | 1 comment

Welcome back to another blog post in our Oxbridge Resources series! Following our blog post on the non-academic opportunities available, we will now be giving you some advice on how to write an amazing personal statement that will make you stand out. Although Hogwarts doesn’t require a written application, unfortunately for you, Oxbridge alongside other medical schools does in the form of the UCAS application, which includes the daunting personal statement! We will break down the do’s and don’ts of writing your personal statement, as well as directing you towards useful resources and examples. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

Why is the personal statement so important?

Personal statements can differentiate you from other applicants as most have strong GCSE grades and A-Level predictions, alongside stellar references. Therefore, your personal statement is your chance to stand out from the crowd and give an insight into why medical schools should choose you. This does not mean that you need to write a weird and wacky personal statement, but one that is unique and effective in portraying your interest and experiences in medicine so far.

Your personal statement might serve as a great starting point at interview, easing you into a situation which you might initially find nerve-wracking. Your personal statement will both allow you to demonstrate your passion for medicine and discuss some academic subjects you might be interested in, allowing you to come across as an enthusiastic, well-informed applicant.

Ground rules for the personal statement?

You may be surprised to find out that there are no hard and fast rules as to how you should write your personal statement. However, a few key points you should try to answer are:

• Your motivation: what sparked your interest, and why do you want to study medicine?
• How have you gone about gaining a realistic insight into medicine?
• What makes you a suitable candidate to study medicine?
• What skills have you witnessed a healthcare team/professional demonstrate?
• How have you demonstrated these skills yourself?
• You should aim to show your enthusiasm and motivation through  detailed  examples of how you have explored medicine beyond the A-Level syllabus. For instance, by extra reading, through work experience or attendance on extra-curricular courses.
• How will you be able to cope with the challenges of medicine – i.e. do you have a work-life balance?
• For Oxbridge, they also tend to like a more academic paragraph as they are research-heavy universities that like to teach on a stronger scientific foundation; this by no means that the whole personal statement should be academic however and you should strike a balance!

Finally, although it is not specified anywhere, you must prioritise quality over quantity. Rather than listing activities that you have partaken in, you should think carefully and reflect upon what experiences have been of most value and have provided you with the best insight. You should then expand on these in detail and link the skills you have witnessed from the experience to ones you already have and are currently building.

It also goes without saying that your punctuation and grammar needs to be spot on in your final draft as otherwise, it will look quite sloppy handing in a personal statement that doesn’t read well. Of course, it won’t be perfect the first time around, so don’t worry about this until right at the end after you have got all the content down and are beginning to format!

How to get started?

Getting started might be one of the hardest parts of writing your personal statement as you may feel like there is so much for you to do, and you may not know where to start!

A way that can help you organise your thoughts is by writing a list of experiences and linking them to the skills and qualities of a doctor. You can check these skills and qualities of a doctor on the Good Medical Practice (GMP) to try and see what skills they are looking for and use it as a template, or even use the medical schools’ selection criteria on their websites.

The link to the GMP is as follows:  https://www.gmc-uk.org/ethical-guidance/ethical-guidance-for-doctors/good-medical-practice

Once you have done this, we would advise you to start whittling down your list to the experiences you feel are most versatile and show that you have demonstrated many of the skills and qualities of a doctor and this will allow you to go into more detail and provide the most coherent paragraph. You need to bear in mind that you will probably not be able to fit in everything you want into your personal statement, so prioritising the key experiences that you can expand upon easily is helpful.

How to structure your personal statement

Once you have thought about what you want to include in your personal statement and the skills that you have demonstrated and seen in your various experiences, it is crucial to tie these points together and follow a rough structure such that flows well.

We would advise that you write your personal statement in chronological order, starting with what initially drew you into medicine to how you went about gaining a realistic insight and finally talking about how you have demonstrated that you have the skills and qualities required of a doctor/healthcare professional.

Although the thing that “sparked” your interest will probably be personal, typically the main reasons people mention are a personal/family experience involving healthcare teams, a passion for the sciences and/or a desire to help other people. Even though these are typical reasons for people choosing to study medicine, these are by no means the only reasons, so don’t worry if you have something else that ignited your passion for medicine and feel free to mention it if it’s appropriate!

From there, it is important to realise that what you have mentioned in your introduction was only the start of your decision to study medicine and subsequently you have gone onto gain a realistic insight via an accumulation of experiences. This would be an appropriate place to start talking about what you witnessed at work experience and volunteering. Do not only describe what you saw but mainly show how you have reflected upon these experiences and learnt about the skills and qualities a doctor demonstrates.

This could have then gone on to inspire you to further research a particular topic and would be effective to include as it shows how you have taken the initiative to further your initial interest. This will allow you to show your passion for the sciences and research, especially if you link in some super curricular activities you have undertaken that have furthered your interest in medicine. This paragraph can be particularly important as for Oxbridge it is often the paragraph from which questions are asked, if any, regarding the personal statement as the admissions tutors may be interested in how you have demonstrated your passion for the sciences.

Following this, you can also mention other interests you might have, such as your extracurricular activities. You don’t need to go into them in depth unless you think they are relevant to your decision to study medicine. Their primary purpose is to show that you can keep a good work-life balance and have also developed key skills that you have noticed doctors and other healthcare professionals demonstrate, such as leadership, teamwork and communication.

Finally, you can add a brief conclusion that demonstrates you have gained a realistic insight through your experiences and reinforces the idea that you would make a good medical student and doctor. Having a conclusion is not strictly necessary, so it is up to you to decide whether you would like to include one. Both of us wrote a conclusion as we felt that it provided a strong and positive ending note to our personal statements and was effective in affirming our desire to pursue medicine!

Balancing what other medical schools are looking for vs Oxbridge

As you are probably not only applying to Oxbridge, but also to three other medical schools, you want to make sure that you balance what you write in your personal statement so that it appeals to all the medical schools you are applying to and is not too specific for Oxbridge  (i.e. don’t make it all academic!).

As both Oxford and Cambridge follow a traditional course, focusing on the science underpinning medicine and research, you should talk about some academic research you may have done into a particular topic of medicine to show your passion for the sciences. We would recommend that you limit this to a single paragraph so that it doesn’t become overwhelming and you are also able to get across the other reasons why the medical schools should choose you. You could show a particular area of medicine you are interested in through super curricular activities you have undertaken. For example, EPQ, online courses, writing an article and research placements – we discussed this in more depth in our previous blog post regarding non-academic opportunities you can be undertaking during this time and the link to that blog is as follows:  https://medicmentor.co.uk/oxbridge-non-academic-activities/

Although super-curriculars are important, it is still essential that you strike a balance between your academic and extracurricular activities. This is effective in demonstrating that you have a work-life balance and can also be useful in showing that you have already developed the skills you will be required to demonstrate as a future medic.

At the end of the day, medicine is a demanding career choice, and all medical schools, Oxbridge included, will be looking for someone who has a passion for medicine and is also capable of being resilient. A great way of showing that you have some tools for coping under pressure is by linking in an extracurricular activity that you enjoy which helps you destress. This is an effective way of showing your suitability for the course.

SAQ (Cambridge specific)

As you may have wanted to balance your personal statement such that it was suitable for all medical schools and not only Oxbridge, you may not have made your personal statement as academic as you may have wanted to. Don’t worry at all, as this is the case for most students.

Once Cambridge has received your application to the university through UCAS, they get back to you and ask you to fill a Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ). This is compulsory to fill out and is often asked to be returned a week after the deadline for your UCAS application to be submitted.

Most of the information is similar to that included in your UCAS application. Still, it also asks for what topics you have learnt as part of your A-Level courses thus far such that interviewers have an idea of what topics they can ask questions on at interview.

Moreover, there is a section where you can write an optional personal statement. It is important to realise that this is optional and there is no obligation whatsoever for you to write it and if you don’t, you won’t be penalised. That being said, if you feel there is something more you want to talk about (often academic) which will further demonstrate your passion for the sciences to the admissions tutors feel free to use this space. There is not too much space in the optional section, but it might be a useful opportunity to go into further detail with regards to your super-curricular activities, research projects etc.

We would definitely not recommend completing this section of the SAQ for the sake of it as the admissions tutors will probably tell if you are writing extra because you feel like you have to. Still, it can also be a useful area to discuss something you maybe couldn’t have gone into as much detail in, in your UCAS personal statement.

Reflection in your personal statement

Reflection is an essential part of medicine as it not only allows you to recognise your own strengths and weaknesses but also to learn much more effectively from your experiences. By reflecting in your personal statement, you can demonstrate that you have obtained a realistic insight into medicine and are aware of the skills you will be required to show as a medical student and doctor.

A way to reflect on your personal statement is using Gibbs reflective cycle, which is a structure that can help you organise and develop upon your learning experiences. This will help you expand on your experiences in a way that is specific to you and can be useful in helping you stand out, showing that you have clearly given some thought into why you would be a suitable applicant to medical school.

Available at: https://www.crowe-associates.co.uk/coaching-tools/gibbs-reflective-cycle/

Additionally, at interview, it is effective to structure your answer by using the STARR technique. We will expand on this later in a future blog post but for your convenience have given you an idea of what it is by providing an explanation of the abbreviation!

S – Situation

T – Task

A – Action

R – Result

R – Reflection

Common pitfalls

There are some common mistakes you may make along the way, so we will point them out so that you can avoid them and write a high-quality, balanced personal statement. They are as follows:

• It is important to prioritise quality over quantity  and go into detail about what you learnt from the examples you have mentioned.
• We wouldn’t recommend you to focus excessively on your school grades  as this is not the point of the personal statement and instead you should discuss why your various experiences show you are a strong applicant. These can instead be mentioned in other areas of your application, such as in your teacher’s reference. We have gone into more detail about this later on in this blog.
• Don’t make it seem as if you have been lazy when arranging work experience.  Instead of stating that someone arranged work experience for you, you should mention that you took the initiative to further your interests.
• Concentrating too much on future career plans.  Don’t delve into a specific speciality unless that is something that sparked your interest in medicine in general.
• Saying statements using ‘we’ instead of ‘I’.  Even though you might have worked in a team in various activities, you want to make sure that you state your specific involvement and contribution to demonstrate the skill sets you have to offer.
• Not evidencing your claims.  If you make a statement about yourself, such as ‘I am a good leader’, you can’t just leave it at that, but should instead explain and provide examples of where you have demonstrated this skill in your life.
• Plagiarising other personal statements or lying about your experiences.  It is quite self-explanatory why you shouldn’t do this but honesty and being trustworthy is an important quality of a doctor so if you lie in your personal statement or reproduce work that is not yours this could lead to severe consequences.
• Remember to check your SPAG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar).  It is important to do this; otherwise, your personal statement, which is a big chance to let yourself shine, would look sloppy.
• Name dropping.  You don’t need to mention the names of the places where you did your work experience or volunteering, as this does not add value to your application and will cost you characters which you could use to say something else.

Teacher’s references

You may be wondering how the teacher’s reference is relevant to your personal statement. The teacher’s reference is an incredibly useful bit of your application that can often be underestimated and not used to its full potential. Inevitably, you will not be able to include all the points you want to make in your personal statement that you believe will make you stand out. Nevertheless, the teacher’s reference, which is not as limited for words, could be a perfect place for including the things you may have wanted to include but didn’t have the chance to in your personal statement.

We would recommend that you make a list of achievements or experiences that you were unable to include in your personal statement and then give this to the tutor that writes your reference. If you have an achievement for various subjects and different subject teachers contribute to your teacher’s reference, we would recommend that you write a list of accomplishments from across different subjects and give these lists to various subject tutors such that they can include these in their part of the reference.

Finally, the teacher’s reference could be a perfect place to talk about your extracurricular achievements that your teachers may be unaware of as often people don’t have enough space in their personal statement to go into detail about their achievements.

Summer School

One of the aims of the Medic Mentor summer school is that every student completes their personal statement to a final draft standard. If you attend the summer school, you will have the fantastic opportunity to have medical students and doctors support you throughout 2+ intensive days writing your personal statement from scratch. This is not to say that you will not be writing your own personal statement, but that you will have the chance to receive immediate feedback and support as you go along. On top of this, the support you receive is not only limited to until summer school finishes, but you have the guidance of a mentor who has just been through the process, only an email away, which is very helpful!

As amazing as the summer school is, you shouldn’t worry that if you don’t attend it, your personal statement will not be good enough for the medical schools you are applying to. You will probably have to spend more time on it during the summer, but you can still produce a great personal statement by using some of the advice we have given you and asking for feedback – we will further discuss this below. The Medic Mentor team will still be more than happy to help guide and support you along the way if you remain proactive in asking for feedback.

Asking for feedback on personal statement

We would recommend that you send your personal statement off to as many reliable and helpful sources as possible. This could include anyone related or unrelated to the subject, different teachers from different subjects, medical students, doctors, and your family.

This can be really helpful so they can give you their thoughts on it and you can improve it every time you make a new draft. However, you should make sure to take their comments with a pinch of salt, as everyone will have different views and it’s up to you at the end of the day what you want to keep and want you to change. The most reliable sources to listen to are probably those who work in the medical profession. However, it is still useful to ask for the opinions of others, especially with regards to wording and the flow of what you have written.

How your personal statement is used at interview

Something worth bearing in mind whilst you are writing your personal statement is that anything you mention is fair game at interview, so the interviewers can ask you about it. They tend to do this at the start of the interview to ease you in, as you should know about the topics you have mentioned very well. Therefore, we recommend that you make sure you know your personal statement thoroughly and have read and reviewed any books you may have included beforehand in case they ask you about something from it.

For Oxbridge in particular, it is likely that if you have done a research placement it may be brought up as although the interview is predominantly science-based, it may be used to ease you in and would be an effective way to judge your passion for the sciences. The same is said for what you include in the SAQ in your Cambridge application so to make sure to have a thorough read of both and know them inside out before you go for your interview!

In this blog, we have covered a range of advice from how to get underway with writing your personal statement, to some useful tips on how to make you stand out and to how your personal statement will be used at interview. Writing your personal statement can be one of the hardest aspects of the application process, as you may want to make it perfect, but inevitably, you will always want to change and improve it. Nevertheless, we hope that the tips and tricks that we have discussed above will make this process easier and more straightforward.

As always feel free to comment down below and we will make sure to get back to you as soon as possible! We are planning on having our last Oxbridge Q&A session next week at 7pm BST, so we hope that you will join us then.

Finally, make sure to look out for our next blog post on the BMAT which we will hopefully be publishing sometime next week! We hope this blog has helped! 🙂

Koby Kalavannan and Laura Stirling

Hi Koby, this is a phenominal blog post! If any student reading this is worried about their UCAS references, they can direct their reference teacher to register for our free teacher workshop on Friday 7th August 2020 at 4pm, which is all about how to write an outstanding reference for their applying students! Teachers can sign up on the teacher area of this website. The workshop is not appropriate for students to join, but please let your teachers know!

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• Medicine personal statements

Advice for people writing their medicine personal statements

Whether you're just getting started or finishing off, these tips will help you

When you're writing your personal statement, it's always best to start early. People generally get through reams of drafts before settling on something they're happy with, so building in lots of time is always helpful.

That said, if you're reading this with the 15 October deadline looming large: don't worry! The tips in this article will help you put together a personal statement you're proud of, with a minimum of stress. The advice that follows has been built up over time out of contributions from medical admission tutors at UK universities. 

Below, we'll go through the key areas to cover in your personal statement, providing a general format to follow. You don't have to slavishly copy the format, but do make sure you cover each area.

Before you start, be sure to check the websites of the universities where you want to apply. They may provide specific advice on what they want to see in your personal statement (different universities may have different things they want you to include).

Writing an introduction for your medicine personal statement

Aim for an introduction that is both original and interesting. People wrestle with their opening lines endlessly, but what you need to do is really quite simple: explain what attracts you to medicine and why.

There's no need to lead the reader in; just write concisely about  what you feel is important in your desire to become a doctor. If you say that you find X interesting, make sure you then talk about why this is.

Most importantly, be honest. Originality is one thing, but it shouldn't come at the expense of truth. What you're looking for is wording that is original - the reasons that you explain are almost certain to be cliched to some extent. After all, thousands of applicants over the years will have the EXACT same reasons as you. Just write honestly and from the heart and you'll be on the right lines.

Writing your work experience paragraph

There's no need to mention specific places. 'I helped out at a hospital' is fine, rather than 'I helped out at Birmingham hospital'.

It's useful also to mention that you arranged it yourself (by starting the sentence with 'I arranged...' or something similar). This is a good way to show personal organisation as well as motivation.

Next, focus on what you learned about the reality of life as a doctor. Discuss the pros and cons and why you want to be a doctor despite the cons. Don’t just say that there are negative aspects - talk about them, but not in too much detail. After all, this document is your way of showing you want to be a doctor.

Another good thing to include in your work experience would be any skills you realised it was useful for doctors to have, and why these were so important. For example: don't just say 'I realised the importance of teamwork,' talk about why it's important. If you have experience in both hospital and general practice, then think about comparing them.

There are a few things you should avoid getting into. Don't list the procedures you saw or places you went. Especially don't list any clinical skills you got the chance to practise. Whilst injecting a fake arm may well have been enjoyable, it says nothing about you as a person, and is irrelevant in terms of getting into medical school.

If you need to know clinical skills like that, then you'll be taught them  at  medical school. Having had previous exposure to these procedures does not gain you any brownie points.

The same can be said for watching operations. Bearing in mind you'll have next to no knowledge of the pathology, reasons for that intervention and relevant anatomy, it's not worth your time writing about it, and potentially being quizzed on it at interview.

If you carried out any clinical skills on a real patient while on work experience, think twice before mentioning them. It can be argued you shouldn't have done it in the first place, as it is outside your competency. The GMC and medical schools are very strict on this, and have clear guidelines about students (and even doctors!) not working outside their competencies.

If you are applying for deferred entry or applying during your gap year, it might be a good idea to include a short paragraph on what your plans are for the year and what you hope they will teach you.

Writing your voluntary work paragraph

Your aim in this section is to talk not only about the voluntary work you have done, but what you have learned from doing it. Simply say what you did/do, then what you learned from it. You might sometimes explain why that is useful, but not at the expense of it being interesting. You can include things like peer mentoring and prefectships here.

Don't repeat things you learned. You only need to demonstrate each characteristic once each throughout the statement. You don’t need three examples of how you can handle responsibility!

Other characteristics you might cover include teamwork, empathy, communications skills, leadership and confidence. You will certainly be able to think up others, but don't worry about including them all.

Writing your extracurricular paragraph

This paragraph is for describing what you do in your spare time, and why you enjoy it. It's an important section because medical schools want students to contribute something to their school life - through drama, sports, whatever.

You can even mention listening to music, socialising, the gym, as long as you can say how these have helped you. You also need to recognise that hobbies are important to relax and unwind away from medicine.

People often write about skills they've learnt that don't really relate to medicine, such as improved hand-eye coordination or the ability to use computers. If you do a hobby just because you enjoy it, fair enough, but don't try to justify it in a way that doesn't correspond to medicine.

If you have a choice, put ones in which demonstrate communication skills, leadership, teamworking, compassion and coping with challenges.

Writing the conclusion to your medicine personal statement

To close your personal statement, you need to sum up why you want to be a doctor and why you're suited to the career. Don't display arrogance by assuming you're going to get into medical school (eg 'I look forward to seeing you at interview'), but do show confidence.

Don't suddenly bring in things if you've never mentioned them before, such as 'I can cope with the stresses on a doctor' when throughout the statement you've never addressed them.

Avoid the phrase 'ideal candidate' as each medical school will have a different idea of what this is. Don't refer to the university directly ('your university') as this comes across as very insincere considering you're applying to four or five universities.

Other things you might add

Some people choose to include something about the A-levels/IB they're doing, explaining how they're relevant to medicine and why they chose them. Some people discuss an area of medicine they particularly like and explain why.

Never say you definitely want to be a certain type of doctor though. You don’t want to come across as naïve or closed minded. These points often go in a paragraph before the work experience is mentioned. A lot of teachers/tutors are hot on telling students to write about every subject they study and why, but a big paragraph on your A-levels doesn’t explain much about you so don’t bother.

Instead of talking about what you study, try including an 'academic paragraph' to include an area of medicine that interests you. It will demonstrate that you've read around the subject and will make you look more original.

This would be the place to put in an extended science project or out-of-school science lectures you have been to. It is important to demonstrate scientific curiosity and a love of learning, especially for the more academic medical schools.

If you have read a specific book or journal, then this would go in here. However, there is no point in just saying you've read something as anyone could do that. Instead, talk about what you found particularly interesting (about the book) or an article you found particularly interesting (from a journal) and why you found it interesting.

Don't have  ANY  sentences that put yourself down- even if you try to turn it round, it's better not to say anything negative to start with.

Advice on writing style for your medicine personal statement

This has been compiled from my experience of reading personal statements over the years. It is aimed as a guide to prevent these mistakes from creeping into your PS. Any statistics I have used are only to be used as guidelines and are based on PS Help reviews. They are not guaranteed to be accurate. ~  Kyalimers

Punctuation

1.  Capital letters

Capital letters should only be used when a proper noun is being used. Countless people capitalise the following words: medicine, chemistry, biology, doctor, hospital, general practice. The words are correct as written there. Exceptions to this do exist if you write the word as a proper noun. For example, if I were to write 'I am applying for the Medicine A100 course,' then capitalising the 'M' would be correct. Similarly, if I were writing 'I worked at Central Manchester University Hospital for a period of three weeks,' then it would be correct to use capital letters. At least half of all statements make a mistake with incorrectly capitalised words.

Something which should always be capitalised is 'I'. It is correct to say 'I am twenty years old and I like to play the piano.' It is not a very common mistake, but it has been seen.

2.  Commas

It is rare to see the perfect use of commas throughout a personal statement. More often than not, commas are completely missed out from sentences. Most commonly, this occurs after a clause such as 'During my hospital work experience, I learnt about empathy.' More than three quarters of all statements will miss out the comma after the first clause. A comma would therefore also be needed here: 'In September, I played a football tournament.' A final example where commas are often missed out is when coordinate clauses are used. 'Medicine, in my opinion, is the perfect career choice for me.' Similarly: 'I like the rewarding nature of medicine, but I am not too fond of the hard work.'

3.  Semicolons

Generally used incorrectly or not used at all.

The semicolon has many uses. Its main use is to separate items of lists or series. For example: 'I observed several departments: I watched surgery in Orthopaedics; learnt about ECGs in Cardiology; was taught about diabetes in Endocrinology and viewed a CT scan in Radiology.'

It can also be used between independent clauses which are related. 'I went to A&E; it was really busy.'

It is also used to link clauses and semi clauses. 'It is most common on wards 6 and 9; however, it is not restricted.'

If you are not sure whether to use a semicolon or not, alter your sentence so that you don't have a need to.

4.  Colons

As semicolons, colons are usually used incorrectly or not used at all.

The colon is most commonly used to introduce a list. 'I went to three wards: ward 4, ward 9 and ward 14.'

It is also commonly used when one sentence is linked to its preceding sentence via consequence or effect. For example: 'I had a wonderful romantic dinner last night, but I awoke with a stomach pain: it must have been dodgy food.' Similarly, it can be used in apposition: 'I couldn't get up for hospital: I was still hungover.'

5.  Apostrophes

This is something that really annoys me. First, when not to use them. If you are turning something into a plural, there is no need to use an apostrophe. For example: GCSEs, GPs, PSs.

Having read an endless number of personal statements, the most common apostrophe mistake concerns the word patient.

patients - this is the plural of patient ie There are many patients in this waiting room.

patient's dignity - this is the dignity of one patient ie I was concerned about the patient's dignity during the PR exam.

patients' views - the views of many patients ie The patients' views regarding Dr X were very positive.

patience - this is a totally different word ie That man has been waiting for five hours! I'm amazed by his patience.

6.  Inappropriate punctuation

Avoid the temptation to use brackets, slashes and dashes in your personal statement. This is a professional piece of writing and including these in your writing make it look less formal. The same can be said of exclamation marks. Very rarely do they warrant use. Some applicants try using rhetoric in their statements. Once again, this is not formal or professional and should be completely avoided. Therefore, it is also unlikely that you will have the need to use a question mark in your statement.

There is a really good internet tool to check your grammar for you:  https://www.grammarly.com/

1.  Spelling

It takes no longer than a couple of minutes to check your spelling. Paste your personal statement into Microsoft Word and do a spell check or use an online tool such as  http://www.spellcheck.net/english_united_kingdom_spell_checker.html . There's nothing worse than starting your paragraph with 'Medecine is the perfect career choice for me.'

If you're not a confident speller, ask someone to read through your personal statement to check the spelling. Spellcheck software can only spot misspelled words - not misplaced ones. For instance, it would not pick up on the error in 'I regularly pour over medical journals'.

2.  Numbers

Numbers describing age or time periods (for example) should always be fully spelled out. For example: 'When I was fourteen years old, I conducted a three week course in A&E.' If you are writing a specific date such as 1998 or 2012, then you do not have to spell this out.

3.  Using apostrophes to shorten words

Don't use 'don't' in a personal statement (ironic, huh?). Always use the full word. Mustn't should be written as must not and can't as cannot. The same applies for I'm which becomes I am. Don't even consider using I'd, which could stand for 'I had,' 'I did,' 'I would' or 'I could.' These are self-explanatory but are very common mistakes in around 20% of statements.

4.  There, their and they're

Really common mistake made in under a quarter of statements.

'There' is a word which aims to indicate a location or an expletive word which can be used to start sentences. For example: 'There are seven consultants on the ward.' 'It is over there near the table.'

'Their' is a word used to indicate possession. For example: 'It is their box of chocolates.'

'They're' is the short form of 'they are.' So in a sentence it may be used as such: 'They're over there. Look, they're both really busy.'

5.  Its and it's

Its is a possessive form of it. Use it when something belongs to another object ie 'The cat licked its paw.'

It's is a short form of 'it is.' So for example: 'It's cold in the hospital today.'

6.  Using also, furthermore, however and therefore

Essentially, try not to use the word also. Especially, if every other sentence is starting with it. It is a waste of characters and becomes repetitive.

7.  Etcetera and exempli gratia

You should not consider using 'etc' and 'eg' under any circumstances. It does not appear professional and your sentence can almost always be rephrased to avoid use of them.

Clichés

There are some words, phrases and sentences that come up too often. These include, but are not limited to: passion, fascination, love, aspiration, intrigued by, broadened my knowledge, enhanced my skill, as a result, affirmed/confirmed my decision, fuelled, enthralled, quenched my thirst for and sparked my interest in.

Stages in the drafting process

If you are having trouble putting a PS together, try these steps:

1. Write a list of everything you want a med school to know about you (achievements, talents, experiences, personal qualities, etc)

2. Allocate each item to one of the paragraphs in the recommended PS structure (you can reallocate things later if you decide there are better fits).

3. Write each paragraph so that you cover all the items allocated to it, but without worrying too much about phrasing or character/line limits (but don't be too flowery). Don't worry if the intro and/or conclusion are hard to write - just get something down on paper (you can improve it later).

4. Now start hacking. Combine sentences, reorder sentences, shorten sentences, delete anything that doesn't add much. Phrase everything for maximum impact, and save every character (the lines will take care of themselves, almost). You'll spot opportunities to rephrase sentences, but don't strain the rules of English grammar to force it - it's all got to flow nicely.

5. You can save characters by using abbreviations, but beware of using unfamiliar ones. Anything that appears on a med school website, an NHS website or BBC Health should be OK, likewise common abbreviations used in the education system (GCSE, EPQ, etc).

6. Don't ask people to do a proper review until you are close (within 10%) to the character limit (you can make an exception for close family, but most reviewers will only do one proper review for you). Ask several people for opinions but make your own mind up about what changes you make (not all reviewer opinions are compatible with each other). Be very careful about using medical terminology - if you can get a medic to take a look, that would be prudent.

7. If you are struggling with the line limit and using Word, try this tip... convert the text to Courier size 9, a font in which every character occupies the same space on a line. Then adjust (drag) the margins to show exactly 94 characters on each line (no more, no less - insert a string of 94 characters on the first line to help you get it exactly right). Now you can see where characters are being 'wasted'. You'll have 'wasted' spaces at the end of some lines, because long words don't fit and move to the next line, and you may have paragraphs with 1-2 words on the last line - a small cut could save a whole line.

8. KEEP ALL YOUR DRAFTS! Good stuff goes missing during editing, so save each draft with a different filename (PS01.docx, PS02.docx, etc)

>> Read more: samples of real medicine personal statements <<

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What else can you find in this article?

What is a medicine personal statement, how do i write a medicine personal statement, what should i include in my medicine personal statement, how do i structure my medicine personal statement, how do i write an introduction for my medicine personal statement, how do i write a conclusion for my medicine personal statement, how do i write an effective medicine personal statement.

• What can I do with a medicine degree?

Your medicine personal statement should tell the university all about your strengths, skills, experience and ambitions, as well as your personal traits that will help you become a great doctor.

It should also convey your enthusiasm for medicine and what aspects of the subject you enjoy and why.  

Your medicine personal statement will be used by universities to decide whether you are a good candidate to study medicine, and whether they want to offer you a place.

One way is to start your statement with why you want to study medicine at university. Try to pick one or two specific aspects that you like in particular and why they appeal to you.

Make sure you back up everything with examples (always show, don’t tell). You need to convince the admissions tutors that you they should offer you a place on their medicine course over anyone else.

A successful medicine personal statement should be written clearly and concisely, with a good introduction, middle, and conclusion. Remember, medicine is a highly competitive subject, so your personal statement needs to be as polished as possible.

Our personal statement template can help guide you through writing your first draft.

For inspiration on how to write your own unique statement, take a look at some of our medicine personal statement examples above.

It’s important to include skills and experience from all areas of your life and try to relate them to hobbies or extracurricular activities if they helped you to build on certain strengths.

Think about how any work experience has benefitted you, and how it might be useful in your degree.

University admissions tutors want to know what you can bring to their department and what value you can add.

Think about how and why you might treat patients the way you do, and what skills such as empathy, compassion and communication, are important for becoming a doctor. How might you demonstrate this?

Mention your personal traits and how they make you suited to a career in medicine.

You need to be a well-rounded individual in terms of academic talent, people skills and practical experience in order to have a chance of being successful with your medicine UCAS application.

For more help and advice on what to write in your medicine personal statement, please see:

• Personal Statement Editing Services
• Personal Statement Tips From A Teacher
• Analysis Of A Personal Statement
• The 15th January UCAS Deadline: 4 Ways To Avoid Missing It
• Personal Statement FAQs
• Personal Statement Timeline
• 10 Top Personal Statement Writing Tips
• What To Do If You Miss The 15th January UCAS Deadline.

A good medicine personal statement should start off with an engaging introduction that tells an anecdote or picks out a specific aspect of the subject that explains why you are passionate about medicine, and why you wish to study it further.

For the middle sections, focus on your work experience and any extracurricular activities, hobbies or clubs you take part in outside of school/college, and how these have helped you develop skills that are important for medicine. For example, you might talk about how shadowing a doctor on a ward taught you about how to relate to patients and their problems, and how to empthasis with their situation.

Your conclusion should round off your statement in a memorable way that will confirm to the admissions tutors that you are a student that they want on their course, and make them offer you a place.

This might include reiterating your enthusiasm for the subject and why you think you would make a good student, or mentioning your future plans and ambitions, and how you hope your medical degree will help you achieve these.

To craft a memorable introduction to your statement, you should focus on:

• Grabbing the reader’s attention with an interesting and relevant anecdote.
• Avoiding cliches, such as "I've always wanted to study medicine from a young age..." or "Since primary school I've always been interested in the human body..."
• Conveying personal qualities that show you willl be able to cope with the demands of medical school and a career as a medical doctor.
• Not repeating information that is already in another part of the application form, such as academic achievements.
• Keeping it to an appropriate length (usually no more than 4-6 lines in total). Remeber, you have the main body and conclusion to write as well.
• Demonstrating their enthusiasm and passion for certain subjects relevant to medicine, such as biology and chemistry.
• Showing personal traits that are important for a career in medicine such as empathy, communication and respectfulness.
• Relating relevant experiences, what you learned from them and how they demonstrate you are suitable for a career in medicine.
• Crafting a succinct summary of why you're keen to study medicine at university.

As much as the first impression is crucial, the last impression is very important as well. You need to make sure the admission officers that will read your personal statement are left feeling like you are the right candidate. And that’s why you need to sum up or all the facts that make you a great doctor!

The best way to conclude your personal statement is to loop back to what you were writing about in the introduction. Do not just rewrite it, but reinforce why you think you are a good candidate based on your qualities and your deep interest in Medicine.

Think about what personally motivates you, and why you want to be a doctor. You may have already expressed this in your personal statement, but now is the time to make sure the examiner know this.

You should also consider what has sparked your interest and what you have already spoken about in your personal statement. You may also want to think about some of the challenges that the NHS is facing.

The conclusion should include the following:

•     A list of your attributes and qualities that will help you in your medical career
•     Your views on medicine and motivation based on your past experiences
•     What you hope to achieive once you've completed your medical degree.

Try and keep the conclusion to 3 or 4 lines, you shouldn’t be introducing too much new information at this point. Remember – use the conclusion as an opportunity to remind the admissions tutors why everything you’ve written about makes you so fantastic and worthy of a place at their Medical School!

To write a medicine personal statement that stands out, we recommend you follow these top tips:

• Structure is essential - this is because it can make or break your personal statement. We recommend dedicating one or two paragraphs to each part of your personal statement.
• Plan ahead - we suggest getting down some notes during the summer holidays and putting together a first draft before you go back to school/college for your final year
• Be original - this means picking an aspect of the course you enjoy and explaining why in a way that doesn't include cliches, or any over-used words or phrases
• Explain why you're right for the course, including any relevant skills, work experience and hobbies/extracurricular activities
• Think about what you want to gain from your course and how this will help you with your future career plans
• Include a balance of academic and extracurricular content - admissions tutors want to see that you are a well-rounded individual
• Be positive and enthusiastic about the subject
• Revise and edit thoroughly by asking friends, family and teachers for feedback and incorporating their suggestions to try and improve it
• Proofread carefully (don't just rely on a Spellchecker!)

Further resources

For more information about applying for a medicine degree and careers in medicine, please see the following:

• Medicine Courses & Undergraduate Degrees - The Uni Guide
• Becoming a doctor in the UK - GMC
• What can I do with a medical degree?
• Medical School Finance - BMA
• Careers in Medicine - RSM
• Healthcare Careers

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Personal Statement: Extra-Curricular Activities

Introduction.

When thinking about extra-curricular activities it is sometimes difficult to decide what to include and what not to in your personal statement. There are many things you can talk about.   Volunteering, Schemes and Hobbies. These are the three main categories that you want to include. 

Table of Contents

• Volunteering – experiences such as volunteering in a care home, hospice or with charities are great to mention. This can help to demonstrate your commitment to a caring role, especially if you have undertaken this volunteering over a long period of time. Remember to think about what your learnt, as your reflection is what the examiner is often looking for.
• Schemes – such as Young Enterprise. This experience will have provided you with some great skills such as leadership, teamwork and communication skills. Think about what you learnt while completing such a scheme, as well as why these skills are essential for doctors to have. 
• Hobbies – Sports and music are great examples here. Think about why you enjoy doing a particular sport of musical instrument for example. Also think about why it is important to have a good work-life balance when studying at university. 

How do I talk about my extracurricular activities? 

Try to link your activities to skills that you have learnt through them, and then on to why you ultimately want to study medicine, and how this will help you. This shows insight and maturity of thought.  

There is more to university than just medicine , and medical schools do want to hear about that aspect of you too. It is really important that you show you do more than just produce good grades. Extracurricular activities is a great way of showing that you do more than just study, so make sure to include it. Some universities even penalise you for not including any information about your extracurriculars. 

Be enthusiastic in your tone, – similarly to your introduction you want to make sure that you have an enthusiastic tone in your writing, however remember it is an academic piece of writing. Therefore, try to avoid talking about things such as watching TV, instead think about sports and other extracurricular activities you do. 

Worked Examples

We wanted to show you a bad and good example of what you can write. These are generic examples, but please do make your own. Remember medical schools want to hear about your unique experiences and what you have learnt. Also they may ask you about it at interview, so be sure to be truthful with your examples. 

“I have a grade 2 piano, and I like playing football every week.”

This is a bad example because the student has just listed what they have done/do. This doesn’t show what you have learnt from your extracurriculars or why you enjoy them. Instead try to focus on one and explain it in more detail.

“I have a passion for creative projects, so being part of a Young Enterprise company enabled me to nurture my skills and explore the world of business. I learnt invaluable lessons on teamwork and leadership. This has also helped completement my role as Captain of the School Football Team.”

This example is much more interesting and you have told the reader much more detail. The reflection on what you have learnt with regards to skills is what they are looking for. You could further add a specific example about your project for a more indepth answer. Do remember the character count, so you may not be able to do this. You can always go into more detail in your interview if asked about this.

Hopefully this helped  guide you as to what to and what not to include, as well as how to write about your extracurricular activities in an interesting way. It is always important to remember that many medical schools mark your personal statements, just like an essay, and this can help to decide which applicants are shortlisted for an interview. It is likely extra-curricular activities on this shortlist, therefore mentioning these is very important.  

Frequently Asked Question

→what kind of extra-curricular activities should be included in a personal statement.

Extra-curricular activities that should be included in a personal statement include activities that demonstrate leadership, teamwork, communication skills, and community involvement. These can include volunteering, sports teams, clubs, student government, or other leadership positions.

→How should extra-curricular activities be presented in a personal statement?

Extra-curricular activities should be presented in a way that highlights the skills and qualities that they have developed through participation. Candidates should provide specific examples and describe their impact on the activity or organization.

→What are some tips for including extra-curricular activities in a personal statement?

Some tips for including extra-curricular activities in a personal statement include choosing activities that are relevant to the program or field, emphasizing leadership and teamwork skills, providing specific examples and achievements, and showing the impact that the activities have had on the candidate’s personal and professional development.

→Why is it important to include extra-curricular activities in a personal statement?

Including extra-curricular activities in a personal statement can help to demonstrate a candidate’s skills, interests, and personal qualities. It can also show that they are well-rounded and have experiences beyond their academic studies.

→What are good extracurricular activities for a medicine personal statement?

You don’t need to showcase medically-related activities in your personal statement! Admissions tutors are looking for you to demonstrate how you have contributed to these activities and how you can relate it back to skills needed as a doctor and how it has strengthened these. They are also looking for skills that you can show that will enable you to take on the challenges of studying medicine.

→How to write extra curricular activities in SOP?

By following our advice above, you should have a good idea about how to write about extracurricular activities in your personal statement. Just remember to continue to link it back to skills that you have demonstrated and not just writing a statement. Reflection is a great way to show that you are able to learn from your experiences.

Cancel reply

Iqra medic mind tutor 28 february 2022.

Thanks this is very helpful. Now i can write about my extracurricular, which is semi classical dancing.

Ebune Franck Medic Mind Tutor 29 June 2022

Thanks a lot I was very helpful 🙂

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• Teamwork Questions

How well do you work in a team – and do you understand the importance of teamwork? These interview questions are designed to find out!

Questions on Teamwork

• Learn how to give great teamwork examples
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There is a strong chance you’ll be asked teamwork questions during your Medicine interview . That’s because these types of interview questions get under the skin of whether you can work well in a team. It’s your chance to show that you value teamwork and understand that a Doctor forms part of a team. Check out our teamwork tips for more advice.

The answer guides to these teamwork questions have been put together by medics who have successfully navigated interviews at top medical schools . They’re included in our Mastering the Medical School Interview Guide which you’ll get when you join a Medical School Interview Course . It’s over 220 pages long and has everything you need to ace your interview.

Give An Example Of A Time You Worked In A Team, And It Was Successful

Briefly set the scene: what type of team were you part of, what were you doing, what was the goal, and what was the outcome?

After this has been established, talk about your role. The interviewers want to find out what you contributed, so be specific. You need to say not just what you did, but how you did it.

For instance, if you contributed to smooth communication within the team, maybe it was because you set up a group chat, addressed each member directly and checked up on their individual progress, encouraging everyone to post their progress and keep each other in the loop.

Have a set example of a time you showed good teamwork. Ideally, it should include a resolution to also showcase your problem solving skills.

Conclude your answer by stating what you learned about the qualities of a successful team. This shows that you are reflective. You can go a step further by relating it to Medicine and how the learning points can be applied in the future, at medical school and beyond.

Common mistakes:

• Taking too long to describe the example. Everything you say should be relevant by either reflecting your individual good qualities or showing your understanding of the important factors of teamwork.
• Not focusing on the right things. Your gold Duke of Edinburgh award itself is less important than the skills/qualities you’ve learned that can translate to Medicine.

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Give An Example Of A Time You Worked In A Team And Failed

Again, start with the basics. Briefly set the scene: what type of team was it, what were you doing, what was the goal, and what was the outcome?

Then talk about your role specifically. Although the team did not reach its objective, the interviewers will want to find out what you contributed. There should still be some positives to take from it. Show that you are able to reflect, learn and improve.

Say what went wrong and why. Don’t be overly critical of teammates or shift all of the blame to other people.

Say what you would change next time in order to achieve a more desirable outcome. Translate these lessons into something applicable to your future as a medical student and a doctor.

• Being too self-deprecating. You need to show introspection, i.e. that you have learned from past mistakes and that you are confident of correcting them in future.
• Claiming that you did nothing wrong and it was someone else’s fault that the team failed. You need to be able to see the fault in others but also appreciate that the failure of a team is collective.

What Are The Attributes Of A Good Team Leader?

Think about this in advance. Draw on examples from those who have inspired you as a leader – whether they’re a teacher, a sports captain, or a Doctor you met on work experience.

When going through the traits that you feel make a great leader, bring them to life by saying why they are so important and using examples of times when you have personally shown, or at least seen, these traits in action.

Good leaders are effective communicators. They get across the objectives to team members in a clear way that gives people a sense of purpose. A good leader also reaches out to all members of the team individually to make sure they are motivated and show that they care about the progress of everyone. They are inclusive!

Organisation is essential, since managing a team requires being on top of exactly what needs to be done, when and by whom. Delegation is important. A strong leader knows their team members, understands what their strengths and weaknesses are, and is able to delegate fairly.

Ultimately, a strong leader takes responsibility. They will not place blame on their team in tough times.

Remember: use an example of a time when you were a team leader, or a time you witnessed good leadership in action, to make your answer stand out.

• Just listing qualities without reasons or examples. For every trait, make sure that you say why it is important and when you have seen/demonstrated it.
• Focusing too much on the individual leader. The sign of a good leader is actually the ability to maximise the output of their team.

What Are The Attributes Of A Good Team Member?

Again, you will need to think about this in advance so you can arm yourself not only with key traits but also with reasons and examples.

In advance of the interview, make a list of all the times you were a member of a team and consider the things you did well, as well as the things you could have done better.

It’s very important that a good team member can take guidance. This is also an essential trait of being a medical student. Think of times, perhaps from work experience , when you were given feedback and took it on board to improve your performance.

A good team member understands their role as part of a larger team. In Medicine, you will often be working in a team (like an MDT) which is, in turn, a small part of a much bigger team – the NHS. Show that you can work for the greater good and believe in doing so.

Dedication should be a given. This is also a chance to showcase a crucial quality. When working a week of nights, are you the one who pulls the team through or holds them back?

Another key to being able to work well with others is compromise. You can tie this to lots of other desirable traits, like empathy .

• Believing that being a team member is less desirable than being a leader. You need to be both, but it is important to note that as a medical student and starting out as a Junior Doctor, you will be part of a team more often than you will be leading one.
• Thinking that being told to do something differently is a sign of weakness. Use examples of times when you were told to do something differently, took it on board and really improved your performance as a result.

Are You A Leader Or A Follower?

You should answer that you are both – and this should be true!

To be a great medical student, you need to have leadership qualities but also be able to take instruction and contribute to the greater good.

Provide examples of times when you have been a leader and a follower to demonstrate this is true, offering an outline of the situation, the rationale and the ultimate outcome.

Leadership example: “I took a leadership role in my school’s Medical Society . Attendance was low and people were not inspired to come. So I looked into some exciting topics and group activities online, and worked with the teacher in charge to implement them. This led to numbers at society meetings doubling.”

Teamwork example: “When I was playing football for my school, there was one game when our captain asked me to play out of position in the second half so we could protect a narrow lead. I knew this would limit my personal impact in the game, but saw that the captain had the best interests of the team at heart. I played more defensively and we progressed to the final.”

• Insisting that you are a leader, thinking this shows more strength. It is excellent if you have leadership qualities, but you also need to be able to take instruction during your time at medical school and beyond.
• Not having leadership examples. Some people have lots of teamwork examples but are shy and don’t consider themselves leaders. Think about times when you really took initiative and motivated others.

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Is Teamwork Important In Medicine? Why?

This is a great opportunity to showcase all of the preparation and work experience that you have done during the application process. You can use examples from work experience, any relevant reading or research you have done, and even personal experiences as a patient or relative of a patient.

First of all, answer the first half of the question. Yes, teamwork is essential in Medicine because it is essential in delivering high-quality care.

Consider the following reasons why: Doctors specialise in a particular area, so the ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team is essential when dealing with patients who have multiple morbidities. Healthcare is not just delivered by Doctors – it is also delivered by nurses and Allied Health professionals . Teamwork increases the speed of intervention, which is particularly essential in trauma cases. Teamwork is also essential to the training and development of future staff.

Think about instances where a breakdown in teamwork has negatively affected an outcome. Has your reading discussed the importance of teamwork and collaboration? For instance, have you read the GMC’s Good Medical Practice ? (Hint: If not, do so!)

• Generalising by saying that teamwork is important, without giving any concrete or specific reasons why.
• Discussing reasons in the abstract and not using work experience, reading or personal examples to illustrate how teamwork manifests itself in the real world.

How Do You Resolve Conflict Within A Group?

Your answer for this type of question should be multifaceted, involving a short, generic answer explaining what you would do as well as a more specific, detailed anecdote and a summary.

One of the most important traits of a good team member is the ability to deal with conflicts quickly and sensibly, whilst not affecting the group dynamic or ability to complete the task.

An example of a personal anecdote: “During my Duke of Edinburgh Bronze, two members of my group thought that we needed to go in the opposite direction to the rest of the group.

Before the discussion escalated further, I thought it was important to get everyone together and hear what people had to say. We had a task to complete and it had to be done as a team. I knew we could deal with this ourselves as a group, so we looked at the map and decided, as a group, on the best route to take.”

After giving this anecdote, it may be worth mentioning any plan that you implemented to prevent conflict arising in the future and dealing with issues quickly. You don’t need to go into details of the argument, just give a brief overview and a summary of the resolution.

• Getting too specific about the minutiae of the conflict can lead to you losing the interviewer, and you may also lose valuable time.
• Not having an example ready. Examples of conflicts can be as big or small as you like. The key to answering this question well is about demonstrating that you can deal with any situation appropriately and seek assistance if necessary.

What Would You Do If You Were Working On A Group Project And Noticed Than One Member Of The Team Was Not Contributing?

Medical students are often required to work in groups for the purpose of PBL (at certain medical schools) or for other tasks, e.g. to produce a piece of work such as an academic poster.

This means that teamwork is very important, and your answer should demonstrate that you have the ability to work well with others, possess teamworking skills and can resolve issues effectively.

Where possible, it is important for students to be able to deal with problems within a team independently, without having to involve a member of staff. You might mention speaking to a tutor as an option if the team was unable to resolve the issue, but this would probably not be your first resort.

It’s important for all members of a team to contribute, so simply having other students make up for the lack of contributions on one person’s part is not a good solution to the problem described in this scenario.

Explain how you would approach the individual in question. As you don’t know why they are failing to contribute, you might want to do this sensitively and without being confrontational, showcasing good communication skills.

There is a number of reasons why a team member might struggle with a group project such as personal issues, confusion about their role, or reluctance to ask questions in a group setting.

Suggest how you might encourage the team member to start contributing more. For example, holding a group meeting to clarify each person’s role and give people an opportunity to ask questions, or providing some constructive feedback on what they have been doing so far.

• Saying that you would go directly to a member of staff. Although this might be an option as a last resort, it is important for students to try and resolve issues like this amongst themselves when possible.
• Coming across as overly confrontational in your answer. Empathy is an important quality for medical students/Doctors and you should consider why the student might be having trouble with the project. You should also want to avoid generating friction within your team as this would further disrupt your work.

Why Is It Important For A Team Leader To Be Able To Allocate Tasks?

This question is an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the role of a leader and the importance of drawing on the strengths of each team member. You may want to use a personal example of when you acted as a leader and had to allocate tasks to others.

A good leader is essential for the success of a team and it is up to them to ensure that each team member is contributing effectively.

While it may be tempting to want to deal with tasks personally, it is important for a leader to allocate work to others in order to make the most of each team member’s unique skill set.

It’s also important for a leader to be aware of their limits and to know when it is in the team’s best interest to trust in someone else’s opinions/abilities. For example, another team member might have the experience or expertise required for a specific task.

An effective team leader can also navigate within their team dynamics and resolve conflicts or issues as they arise.

Give an example of a time when you took on a leadership role and explain how you chose to divide work amongst your team. If you failed to allocate roles well, reflect on the impact this had on your team’s outcomes and what you learned from the experience.

You may want to relate your answer back to Medicine. MDTs are made up of individuals from different healthcare professions who work together for the purpose of improving patient care. These teams are a perfect example of why allocation is so important, because each member has their own specialism and should take on a leading role when the team is focusing on an issue related to their area of expertise.

• Failing to take into account the skills of different team members. Simply splitting work equally across a group is not the most effective use of human resources. More can be achieved when people are given tasks that are appropriate for their unique skill set.
• Not giving a personal example. Although this is not technically required for a question like this, it is recommended. Interviewers will appreciate you giving an example of how you dealt with allocating tasks as a leader and reflecting on why your approach was or wasn’t successful.

You Are The Team Leader For A Fundraising Project, And While Totalling Up The Donations, You Find £20 Is Missing. You Suspect That One Of Your Team Members Has Been Keeping Some Of The Money To Themselves. What Do You Do?

This is a hypothetical scenario which tests your ability to handle difficult situations as a team leader, and it can be approached in a few ways.

As with most of these questions, there is no right or wrong answer – the interviewer just wants to understand your train of thought. Therefore, when you give an answer, explain why you would approach it in that way.

Talk to the whole group stating the fact that there is £20 missing. Then, ask if anyone knows what happened to it, and offer them the option to talk to you privately about this if they wish. This method gives the person a chance to admit to what they have done, and also saves them the embarrassment of making it known to the whole group.

If you know who might be guilty of keeping the £20, you could talk to them separately, away from a group setting. Explain the negative consequences this has on the charity, as well as the reputation of the group.

No matter which method you choose, it is always better to give the team member a chance to admit to what they have done, as they might have lost the £20 instead of stealing it.

Lastly, if you have time, mention that (if the money could not be recovered) you would approach the charity to explain that £20 has gone missing and that as the leader, you will try to raise that money again for the charity as soon as possible to keep your promise.

• Being accusatory. There is a possibility that the money was lost, and no one actually stole it. Accusing any of your team members would ruin the relationship and trust between you and your team.

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