hospital work experience personal statement

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Medicine Personal Statement Examples

Last updated: 29/6/2023

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

Your UCAS personal statement is 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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• 27 June 2018

How To Write A Personal Statement For Your Next Job In Healthcare

• Matt Farrah Nurses.co.uk Co-founder / Co-owner
• Save for later

An excellent personal statement is the key to success in every healthcare job application you make and in this article we look at the steps to follow in order to create the ideal one.

If you’ve written a personal statement before for a previous job application or university course application, you can use ideas and themes from that but you can’t simply use the same one again.

A personal statement must be tailored for each situation, and when you’re applying for healthcare jobs you need to tailor it according to the person specification and job description of the vacancy you’re interested in.

Start with a brainstorm of ideas

If you try to sit down and write your personal statement from scratch by starting with the first sentence, you could find your finished personal statement has no coherence and does not follow a logical order.

By brainstorming your ideas first you can prioritise the points you want to make and assemble all the evidence you want to mention that will back up the claims you’re going to make.

In order to avoid repetition in your personal statement, pick out a couple of points you want to make in your opening statement that really establish you as a serious contender for the job; for example, your qualification or current employment.

Then move on to the centre section where you should elaborate on the all the reasons why you are perfect for the job! Use the person specification and job description from the vacancy advert as a reference and try to check off the points you’re making with the requirements of the employer.

Your closing section should summarise the main points you want the employer to remember you for, especially your professional expertise if you applying for a doctor job , dentist job or any other senior healthcare professional job.

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Put words around your ideas

As you begin to put your ideas into sentences, be mindful of the length of your personal statement. It’s easy to write too much, but you are more likely to be successful if you are succinct and coherent.

It’s essential as you’re writing that you use a variety of examples from your experience to illustrate each point you’re making because you want to demonstrate the range of your experience.

It will also help to make your personal statement as memorable as possible because the employer will have a really good insight into your history and how your experience can make you ideal for their job vacancy.

Proof-read and edit your personal statement several times

When you think you have your personal statement completed go back and proof read it to spot any spelling errors, and to check that the information you have given is accurate.

Your personal statement forms part of your job application so you can be sure that when you apply you are required to confirm all information is correct to the best of your knowledge.

Whether you’re an experienced healthcare professional in a particular field, or you’re applying for your first healthcare assistant job , the personal statement is an essential part of the job application.

It’s your only opportunity to talk directly to the employer before they decide whether or not you are suitable for the job and therefore should be offered an interview.

Try to imagine the questions they will be asking themselves when reading your personal statement and provide clear, concise answers to as many of those questions as you can anticipate.

Once your personal statement has secured you an interview, you'll be wanting advice on how to smash your interview, right? Take a look at how to successfully prepare for interviews in healthcare to find out how to do just that.

Looking for a job in medicine or health care? Next Steps... Create an account. We will help you build a CV as part of that process. This will get you ready to start searching for jobs.

About the author.

I believe people working in healthcare should be able to choose to enjoy work. That is, choose an employer who reflects their values and provides them with a sustainable career. This leads to better patient care, higher retention rates and happier working lives in this most important employment sector.

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Writing about work experience forms a large part of your personal statement, it is what shows medical schools that you are keen on understanding and experiencing what a medical career is. Whether your work experience was in a hospital, care home or a charity, it's important to reflect on this in your personal statement. In this article, we will be speaking specifically about how you can do this, and what the work experience section of your personal statement should include. For a more general guide on personal statements, check out our course here .

How many experiences should I include?

We recommend including at least 2 experiences from either your voluntary work or work experience. Although it would be ideal if one of these was medically related (e.g., GP/hospital), this isn't strictly necessary – and the main thing is that you reflect on whatever you experienced, regardless of whether it is clinical or not. It can be tempting to just list out all the work experience you have had, but it's much better to select a few and to unpack that experience and reflect on it. Admission tutors appreciate that it is difficult to organise clinical work experience (especially during COVID), because of this, they are more focused on what you have learnt from your experience. For example, if you observed a cardiothoracic surgeon for a week and didn't learn anything, it's useless to include this in your personal statement – they would value a non-clinical experience more if you have learnt from it!

How do I write about my work experience?

When writing about your work experience, it is important that you reflect on the situation; avoid just listing out your experiences without writing reflection points. A good tool to use when reflecting is the STARR technique.

• S ituation – Describe the situation or problem you experienced. What happened? Where was it? What did you see?
• T ask – Describe a task you had to do in the situation, and why this was important. Was there anything particularly memorable about the situation?
• A ction – Any obstacles you overcame in the situation, and the actions you took/actions you saw someone take.
• R esult – The outcome of the situation
• R eflection – What you did this time, and what you would do to tackle the problem next time. What did you learn from the experience? What did it teach you about medicine?

For example: Tell me about a time when you demonstrated leadership skills?

• Situation : I was the captain of my school's basketball team.
• Task : This meant i had to lead the team so we can achieve our main objective, which was to win the end of year tournament against other schools.
• Action : I organised regular basketball practice sessions in preperation for matches, and I delegated tasks between team members based on their strengths and weaknesses. I ensured that the team stayed organised and that myself and the team would keep up with our specific roals.
• Results : This meant that at the end of the year we were prepared and confident for our basketball matches, and we ended up winning the cup for our school.
• Reflection : Being both a team leader and member meant that I learnt how to communicate with people from different strengths and abilities. Despite being so individually different, we all combined our strengths and were successful in the end. Although it did feel like a lot of pressure sometimes, working in a team and being organised helped alleviate this. In my work experience and voluntary work, I have seen the importance of leadership and teamwork in Medicine, as this allows patients to receive the best possible care. I look forward to further developing my skills in this area as a doctor.

What else can I include?

When writing about your work experience, as well as reflecting on what you have learnt and seen, it is a great chance to mention the downsides of working in the medical field. Work experience, particularly in clinical fields gives prospective medical students a good idea of what they can expect from medicine (it's why they want you to have this experience before applying!). Writing about this in your personal statement shows that you have also thought about the negatives that come with medicine, rather than the so-called glamorous side which is often portrayed in the media. However, it's extremely important that you word this in a positive tone.

" I saw that there were a lot more patients than doctors, and this made me realise how stressful medicine can be".

Although this shows that you have reflected on the realities of medicine, it makes it seem as though it is not a career that you would motivated to pursue. Instead, it would be better to focus on the positive aspects of this. For example:

" Seeing the high number of patients compared to doctors made me appreciate the importance of time management and efficiency in doctors".

This instead focuses on key words such as time management, and at the same time gets across that you have seen the realities of medicine and how it may not be as glamorous as it seems. This shows admission tutors that you are positive, but still realistic about a career in medicine.

How can I get help with my personal statement?

It's safe to say that writing a personal statement can be very overwhelming and difficult. We understand this and have experienced it too – for this reason, we have put together a course how to approach writing your personal statement. As well as this, we provide 1-on-1 tutoring with our Elite Programme where your personal statement will be reviewed by our tutors. If you would like to find out more about our Elite programme, you can apply here !

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Writing about your work experience in your personal statement—case examples

• Related content
• Peer review
• Alison Walker , associate editor BMJ

All applicants need to write about their work experience in their personal statement to demonstrate why they are a good candidate not only for a place at medical school but also as a future doctor. How have successful medical students done this? I asked four students at different medical schools to tell me how they got their work experience, what they did, and, most importantly, how they put into words what they learnt from it all.

My main work experience placement during sixth form was volunteering at a care home for elderly people for almost a year. The application process was straightforward: I called the care home, was sent an application pack in the post, and was then interviewed by the manager a few weeks later. The placement involved visiting once a week for a few hours to provide company for some of the residents. Although this was not work experience in a hospital, I was able to reflect on how it highlighted the difficulties of being a doctor in my personal statement. I wrote:

“I have experienced both sadness and frustration with regards to a resident who suffers from Alzheimer’s, because she learns to trust me, only to forget who I am later on. Despite this I visit her regularly because a few kind words on my part, grants her a sense of security. This, amongst other experiences, has allowed me to begin to appreciate the intensity of the emotional stress doctors face daily.”

Out of all the work experience I did (including shadowing consultants at various hospitals) I now know that it was volunteering at the care home that most accurately reflected what it is like to look after people who are sick.

I emailed as many consultants as I could, starting by looking at departments that interested me in the hospitals near to where I lived. In my email I was very concise, explaining a little about myself and how even spending one day with them would be invaluable for my application to medical school. Surprisingly, most of my hospital experience came from these emails. I received a lot more “no” than “yes” responses to my emails, but be persistent and don’t give up easily.

Make sure you take notes during your work experience. Write down your thoughts, feelings, and anxieties. What went through your head when you witnessed your first ward round, or a patient cried in a consultation? Beyond how you feel at the time, also think about the science behind whatever you see. Pay attention to the aspects of your experience that told you something interesting and intriguing about being a doctor, caring for a patient, or even how complicated the National Health Service can seem to be.

When you come to write about your work experience in your personal statement, make sure whatever you say is unique to what you’ve seen, how you felt, and what that means to you as a prospective medical student. For example, one sentence from my personal statement stated:

“While on an intensive care unit of the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, I witnessed how complex ethical issues, like withdrawal of treatment and whether or not to resuscitate, were a part of the daily challenges faced by healthcare professionals in their care of every patient.”

In this example I thought about what I had seen in a way that looked at medicine as a whole and not just as a specific event that I had observed while on the wards. Translating your experience into a personal statement can’t be done overnight, but with time it is more than possible.

Sending many emails and calling around helped hugely—you just need to put yourself out there. The places I contacted were keener to help me if I explained (on the phone or by email) exactly what I wanted to gain from the work experience. Teachers are sometimes able to help, but ultimately it is down to you to put in the time to search online and make telephone calls and send emails.

What I realised from my work experience was that medicine wasn’t the glamorous and easy job that so many medical dramas make it out to be. I saw many negative aspects, including the long hours (one surgeon said he hadn’t seen his children in weeks, even though he lived with them) and the need to make emotionally demanding decisions.

Here are some of the ways I reflected on the variety of my work experience:

“To gain more patient contact, I volunteered in a nursing home, feeding patients and assisting in moving and handling. It was here that I discerned the lesser-known aspects of healthcare: paperwork, understaffing, and even violence towards healthcare staff.

I have been fortunate to shadow many doctors on the wards and in theatre, observing mastectomy, coronary artery bypass surgery, and seton placement. I saw how the multidisciplinary team works together in a demanding hospital environment. The doctors’ focus on patient centered care hugely impressed me; the duty of a doctor to respect patients’ decisions (providing the patient has capacity and has made an informed decision) reminds me that doctors, aside from being highly competent, must also recognise patients’ moral values.

To learn about other aspects of healthcare, I spent two weeks at a pharmacy where I learnt about confidentiality. I also volunteered at a dental clinic, practising manual dexterity in aspiration.”

One thing I’ve found from running access to medicine and outreach events at my university is that admissions tutors are only interested in what you’ve learnt from your work experience. It is notoriously difficult to gain work experience involving patients, and it isn’t a prerequisite at all. What is more important is explaining how your work experience makes you a better candidate, especially when you’ve shown how you’ve taken on board the things you’ve learnt.

For my work experience I spent one week at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) in London, one week in a general practice surgery, as well as lots of voluntary bits such as helping in care homes and at a school for children with learning disabilities.

I got most of the voluntary work experience through my school, but I also emailed organisations myself to gain as much experience as I could. I am lucky enough to have a family friend who is a general practitioner and who let me attend the practice for a week, and for the RNOH placement I applied via an application form which is freely available on its website. Here’s how I wrote about it:

“My work experience at a local GP surgery demonstrated to me the resilience and stamina that a doctor requires, as I was able to shadow a doctor treating a range of patients on home visits, telephone surgeries, and walk in clinics.

It is fascinating to me that the job of an orthopaedic surgeon can be to essentially break a patient’s bones in order to improve them. Only in medicine am I able to find an array of diverse cases that never fail to intrigue me. Whilst shadowing a registrar at an orthopaedic hospital I was able to follow a patient from clinic to theatre who suffered from severe arthritis.

This led me to volunteer on a weekly basis for a year at Meadow Wood School for children with physical and neurological impairments; developing the compassion and knowledge to help them cope with their disabilities.”

I gained a lot of insight into the day to day life of doctors in hospital and a general practice environment. However, my most valuable experience was in the voluntary sector as it taught me communication skills that were invaluable. Overall, I think the amount of experience and what it was really doesn’t matter—it’s how you weave it into your personal statement and how you present it that does.

Originally published as: Student BMJ 2015;23:h3359

Competing interests: None declared.

Provenance and peer review: Commissioned; not externally peer reviewed.

medmentor ®

How to reflect on work experience for medicine.

What did you learn from your medicine work experience?

Work experience is an important part of your journey into medicine, as it allows you to gain insight into the profession and helps you know if this is truly the career you want. Beyond this, reflecting on your work experience is really important for your personal statement and interview.

Your application should show that you have thought your decision to study medicine through and that you understand the realities of the career first-hand – the good, the bad and the ugly. This is done by you reflecting on what you’ve seen during your placement and thinking about how this has affected your decision to study medicine, whether that’s in a positive or negative way.

It can be difficult identifying which aspects of your work experience are most relevant and valuable for your application. So, to help you achieve this, we’ve created a FREE GUIDE to help you document and reflect on your work experience. Whether your work experience is in a clinical setting (e.g. hospital or a GP), or in a nursery or school, or something even further from healthcare, this guide will be useful in helping you find the golden nuggets that are relevant to medicine.

Note: keep an eye out for our post this Friday on how to make the most of your medical and non-medical work experience!

Our work experience guide contains 3 sections:

‍ introduction.

‍ This section explores why reflection is important, and highlights the key skills you should be looking out for during your placement, and why they are each important. ‍

This section explains how to effectively record the different activities you’ve observed or demonstrated each day, and gives you space to document your own journey. We’ve even written a sample daily log for inspiration.

This section explains how to effectively reflect on the different skills you’ve observed or demonstrated each day, and gives you space to document your own journey. We’ve also written a sample skills log for inspiration.

Click HERE to download the word document work experience reflection guide.

Click HERE to download the PDF work experience reflection guide.

Author & Editor: Latifa Haque

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• Medicine: How to Apply

Medicine: Anatomy of a Personal Statement

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

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

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

Statement & comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verdict and advice for improvement

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

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

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• Anatomy of a Personal Statement
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Medicine Work Experience: Hospital Work Experience

When conducting  work experience , including hospital work experience, in medicine there are lots of different specialties you can observe. Shadowing a hospital doctor on the ward is a great opportunity to get an understanding of secondary care in the NHS. You’ll get an understanding of a patient’s journey and what brings a patient into hospital. You’ll see patients with chronic and acute problems (any maybe even a patients with a mixture of both!) and begin to understand how a doctor may deal with these. You’ll also gain an appreciation of other members of the multidisciplinary team including nurses, physios, radiographers and many more.

There are lots of different medical specialties. Each hospital will have different types of departments from which you might complete your hospital work experience in. An example of some ward-based specialities you might experience are:

• Respiratory
• Gastroenterology
• Acute Medicine
• Paediatrics
• Intensive Care

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What can I expect from hospital work experience?

You’ll get to see first hand the day-to-day running of a ward. Some of the things you might see include:

• Ward rounds – where you will meet patients and see how the doctors interact with inpatients
• Clinics – you may get to see consultations with outpatients
• Procedures – you might get to see specialist treatments and procedures being performed depending on which ward you’re based on
• Results interpretation – medicine relies on a doctors ability to interpret test results to help them decide how to manage each patient, you might get to see doctors interpreting results such as ECGs and blood tests
• Multidisciplinary meetings – these meetings include planning and also discussions of patients who have complex care needs. These meetings can be really interesting if you get the chance to attend. 
• Management – you can also gain insight into the management of a hospital

Students can pursue a variety of hospital work experience opportunities, including volunteering, shadowing, internships, and clinical rotations.

Internships are formal programs that provide students with structured work experience in a hospital or other healthcare setting. Internships can provide students with hands-on experience in a specific area of medicine and can help them build relationships with mentors in the field.

Students can find hospital work experience opportunities by contacting hospitals directly, speaking with their school’s pre-health advisors, and utilizing online resources such as job boards and internship databases.

Students can make the most of their hospital work experience by being proactive, asking questions, seeking feedback, and taking advantage of networking opportunities. They should also maintain a professional demeanor, be punctual, and demonstrate a strong work ethic.

Students can leverage their hospital work experience by highlighting it in their personal statement, discussing it in interviews, and using it to demonstrate their passion for medicine and commitment to patient care. They should also seek letters of recommendation from healthcare professionals with whom they have worked.

Hospital work experience is important for aspiring medical professionals because it provides hands-on exposure to the healthcare environment, allows them to develop clinical skills, and provides insight into the daily responsibilities of healthcare professionals.

Hospital volunteering can provide students with opportunities to interact with patients and staff, gain exposure to various medical specialties, develop communication skills, and build a network of contacts in the healthcare field.

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• Medicine Work Experience: Surgeon and Surgery

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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).

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Medicine Personal Statement Inspiration – James (UCL)

Home » Application Guide » Medicine Personal Statement Inspiration – James (UCL)

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This is part of a series of blog posts wherein members of the 6med team attach and comment on their own medicine personal statements. James shares his personal statement that helped him successfully gain an offer from UCL to study Medicine. 

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 .

Successful UCL Medicine Personal Statement

First, take a read through this successful UCL personal statement and then we will break down each section and analyse it.

“For several months this year, I volunteered at a school for children with mental and physical disabilities. One particular student caught my attention, a violent and withdrawn boy. By patiently encouraging him to engage in activities through a toy caterpillar, I found a way to connect with him. The experience highlighted the importance and value of every human life, of having compassion for others, and of being aware of other people’s needs and problems aside from our own. Medicine is a lifelong endeavour; it is an opportunity for me to contribute to an expanding scientific field, as well as confront the physical, social and emotional challenges that face humanity.

As a naturally inquisitive person, my fascination with science has led to a profound interest in the human body. My wider reading included “The Music of Life” by Denis Noble, which gave me a better understanding of the physiological functions within the body and the interaction of genes with the environment, cells and organs. Further study of the applications of genetic engineering resulted in me writing a paper on the use of nanotechnology in Medicine. This discussed the relation of current scientific research to the management of various pathologies; the task required me to scrutinize secondary sources and gave me stronger analytical skills. Realising that this combination of science and practical undertaking appealed hugely, I sought some real world experiences to confirm my career choice.

Earlier this year, I undertook work experience in a Renal Unit of my local hospital. This gave me the opportunity to attend ward rounds and clinics, as well as observe dialysis and venous catheter insertion. Through talking to patients, the physical, and at times, mental fragility of some individuals surprised me. The empathy shown by the doctors inspired me deeply. A junior doctor recounted her tough experiences; there were instances where she was confined to a desk organising paperwork, and occasions where she didn’t get any sleep. However, her involvement with patients was satisfying, and seeing them progressively improve motivated her. From these experience, I appreciate how being a doctor can be gruelling, but also very gratifying. Above all, I realise the importance in having moral fibre, perseverance and humility.

Every Wednesday for four months I shadowed my local GP. Watching him give both medical and social advice with such understanding and clinical skill to people from every race, culture and faith made me realise the importance of primary care, good communication and careful allocation of resources.

As a concert pianist, I have gained experience in handling stress and performance anxiety. I perform at a local hospice every week and through successful piano competitions, I had the honour of playing at the Jacqueline De Pre Hall in Oxford. I enjoy conveying the emotion of a piece of music in a beautiful and hopefully profound way. As a school mentor and piano teacher for younger students, I developed skills in passing on information effectively and in listening to others with patience and respect. My experience in representing the school in badminton and hockey has given my stronger teamwork abilities, which I was able to apply in helping organise the school charity week, in which we raised £16,000. I hold positions of responsibility as a school prefect and founder of two societies, where I teach students musical theory and philosophy. Having also been a St John first aider for three years, I gained experience in making others feel comfortable in times of close contact and in assessing situations quickly and effectively. I also enjoy helping out at community events. Finally, I enjoy acting, and also performing magic; being able to instil wonder and joy in others is priceless.

I believe I have the humility, scientific acuity and empathy to become a committed doctor and to face the challenges ahead in my chosen career.”

Now, we’re going to take apart this personal statement and have a look at what makes it work.

Remember, though, we’re not going to teach a set formula, but instead, instil some general principles you can use when you’re writing your own.

Personal statements are ‘personal’ after all, so try not to put across things that don’t faithfully reflect your own experiences, understanding and individuality.

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UCL Medicine Personal Statement Analysis

“For several months this year, I volunteered at a school for children with mental and physical disabilities. One particular student caught my attention, a violent and withdrawn boy. By patiently encouraging him to engage in activities through a toy caterpillar, I found a way to connect with him.”

The first paragraph is often the hardest the write, and there are a number of ways you can go about it.

Whatever you write, always try to captivate the reader – although sometimes unavoidable, the first few sentences run a high risk of being clichéd. One possible way to sound more gripping is by richly conveying a personal experience, either as a volunteer or during your work experience.

Of course, this isn’t the only way: if you have a strong personal reason for studying medicine (which is actually quite rare among students) or just a strong interest in the sciences, make sure it comes across in the first paragraph, phrasing it in a more interesting and unique manner if possible; remember though, it’s important to always favour a more introspective and honest account of your experiences instead of something unrealistic and unnecessarily flamboyant.

“The experience highlighted the importance and value of every human life, of having compassion for others, and of being aware of other people’s needs and problems aside from our own.”

Following the purely descriptive account of the boy, the model statement goes on to reveal what the writer learnt from the experience.

This is an important point: it’s never about what you did, it’s about what you gained from the experience . Many students make the mistake of simply describing all the things they did during their hospital placement or whilst volunteering.

Instead, medical schools are looking for students that are able to reflect upon their experiences , and you’ll be doing this for the rest of your career as you input reflections onto your NHS ePortfolio.

“Medicine is a lifelong endeavour; it is an opportunity for me to contribute to an expanding scientific field, as well as confront the physical, social and emotional challenges that face humanity.”

Throughout the application process, medical schools are looking not just for an understanding of the medical course, but medicine as a career.

The writer here shows an awareness of medicine as a profession that requires continuous learning and growth, as well as an opportunity to do good in the world. Of course, there is some flowery language here, but the writer carefully chose this sentence to offer a convincing ending to the opening paragraph.

“As a naturally inquisitive person, my fascination with science has led to a profound interest in the human body.”

The next paragraph begins with one aspect of the writer’s desire to study medicine: scientific interest. Ultimately, no matter how much you want to care for people, studying medicine requires some degree of interest in the biological sciences, otherwise, you may as well serve people through a number of other fulfilling career paths, as a social worker, for example.

Note how this opening sentence sets the scene for the paragraph to come – it clearly marks a scientific theme. The language used is also richly descriptive, with words and phrases such as ‘naturally inquisitive’, ‘fascination’, and ‘profound’ adding colour to the sentence. Too often students fail to pick up a thesaurus and can end up sounding grey, unexciting and almost apathetic towards the things they talk about in some areas of their statement.

Never underestimate how the careful choice of language can add a new dimension to your personal statement.

“My wider reading included “The Music of Life” by Denis Noble, which gave me a better understanding of the physiological functions within the body and the interaction of genes with the environment, cells and organs. Further study of the applications of genetic engineering resulted in me writing a paper on the use of nanotechnology in Medicine. This discussed the relation of current scientific research to the management of various pathologies; the task required me to scrutinize secondary sources and gave me stronger analytical skills.”

The next few sentences provide support for the natural inquisitiveness and scientific interest the writer claimed to have.

Wider reading isn’t always necessary, but rather a nice addition to more academic personal statements. It’s usually the case that students applying to the more traditional and research-orientated universities (Oxbridge, UCL, Imperial, etc.) offer a few sentences showcasing their interest in scientific research and topics outside of their science curriculum.

If do you want to include a book you’ve read, make sure you know what it’s about so that you can write a concise, perceptive description about it in your PS, just like the writer has done here. We would advise against emphasising A-level choices too much and focus on things you’ve read or done outside the curriculum; certainly avoid talking about how high your grades are as this is a prerequisite for studying medicine anyway.

If scientific research plays a lesser role in your reasons for applying to medicine, then dedicate more space for work experience, volunteering and extra-curricular activities.

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“Realising that this combination of science and practical undertaking appealed hugely, I sought some real world experiences to confirm my career choice.”

Flow is important when it comes to writing your personal statement – don’t make the mistake of making the act of writing your personal statement a listing exercise, like you would for a curriculum vitae.

There should be some hint of an underlying narrative or flow to your writing; in terms of structure, each paragraph should have some theme – in this model statement, the writer has a paragraph on science, hospital work experience and volunteering, for example.

If you’re a fantastic writer (and most of us aren’t), then you may have already put together a beautiful story of how you discovered your passion for medicine and feel comfortable not sticking with a more conventional structure. If you’re not a strong writer, then we recommend you make your personal statement very thematic and simply use nice ‘linking sentences’ that bring together different themes between paragraphs. For example, the writer here draws the scientific paragraph to a close and links to the next paragraph, which talks about work experience.

“Earlier this year, I undertook work experience in a Renal Unit of my local hospital.”

Your description of where and when you did work experience should be short and snappy. There’s no need to give the full name of the hospital, and as a quick writing tip, try to avoid starting sentences with ‘I’.

“This gave me the opportunity to attend ward rounds and clinics, as well as observe dialysis and venous catheter insertion.”

You should then move on to what you actually did, keeping the descriptions as concise as possible.

Remember, medical schools don’t care how many ward rounds you’ve been on or that you’ve even worked at a hospital (although hospital experience is rather important). What is important is that you explain the things you’ve picked up and realized as a result of your experience.

“Through talking to patients, the physical, and at times, mental fragility of some individuals surprised me.”

The writer here first demonstrates they took opportunities to speak to patients, which is one of the most important things you can take away from a hospital placement.

Medical schools want to know you’re able to communicate with real patients and reflect upon your conversations with them. In this case, the writer succinctly reveals a first-hand experience of how patients can be weak, fragile and utterly dependent on doctors and others to support them.

“The empathy shown by the doctors inspired me deeply.”

The writer then goes on to reflect on how the doctors treated these patients and offers one of the most important qualities needed in all doctors , that is empathy .

Note again how this sentence is phrased – it sounds more genuine and meaningful than a sentence such as ‘Empathy is important in doctors’, which is something a lot of students would write.

Always write about what you learnt and realized through your experiences in an authentic manner, it’s much more powerful than phrasing things in a way that suggests you’re just saying it to earn points.

“A junior doctor recounted her tough experiences; there were instances where she was confined to a desk organising paperwork, and occasions where she didn’t get any sleep. However, her involvement with patients was satisfying, and seeing them progressively improve motivated her. From these experiences, I appreciate how being a doctor can be gruelling, but also very gratifying.”

At the same time, you should also be aware that personal statements can be a checklist exercise, with medical schools scrutinizing every sentence you write in order to determine whether you understand what being a doctor is about.

One of the important things you should include is the realities of being a doctor. All too often doctors are over-glamourized by students in their personal statements, with some going as far as saying doctors are trained to deal with all complications, which clearly isn’t true.

Instead, dedicate one or two sentences to the less attractive side of medicine, as the writer has done here. Examples of areas you could talk about may include the stress of long hours or having to break bad news to patients . Of course, you don’t want to leave any negative sentences hanging, so tactfully counter them by adding on positives that more than make up for some of the downsides of being a doctor.

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“Above all, I realise the importance in having moral fibre, perseverance and humility.”

As you’ll come to realize when writing your personal statement, fitting everything you want to mention into 4,000 characters isn’t easy.

This model statement clearly makes sacrifices with the content it includes – in this hospital placement paragraph, only two main qualities are covered: empathy and the realities of being a doctor.

There is no doubt that the writer could have included much more – but it’s more effective to go into detail on one or two of the most significant themes, and then just list or briefly talk about other things that the writer picked up from his experiences. In a nutshell, you should sit down and have a think about which of the most important qualities you can and want to portray through your work experience, and sacrifice the less powerful content.

In terms of writing tips here, the writer uses the rule of three (and this technique is used throughout this model statement) when listing: this is a way of making things sound nicer, but also allows the writer to include more high-yield content.

“Every Wednesday for four months I shadowed my local GP.”

The writer starts a new and shorter paragraph here, and this is purely for the sake of clarity. Do avoid writing long paragraphs and aim to split them into organized chunks if possible.

“Watching him give both medical and social advice with such understanding and clinical skill to people from every race, culture and faith made me realise the importance of primary care, good communication and careful allocation of resources.”

Again, the writer doesn’t give much of a description of what he did at the GP surgery, and neither is there much space to do so. Instead, it is more important to reflect on what you learnt and realized through whatever experiences you have undertaken.

“As a concert pianist, I have gained experience in handling stress and performance anxiety. I perform at a local hospice every week and through successful piano competitions, I had the honour of playing at the Jacqueline De Pre Hall in Oxford. I enjoy conveying the emotion of a piece of music in a beautiful and hopefully profound way.”

The penultimate paragraph talks about the writer’s extra-curricular skills and qualities developed through such activities. Never just list a bunch of hobbies you do – instead, always reflect on how you’ve developed your skills, making sure the qualities and skills you talk about are relevant to a future career in medicine.

The writer here uses the word ‘profound’ again – as a writing tip, it is good practice to avoid using the same adjectives or verbs again or close to each other in a piece of prose; ‘powerful’ may be a more suitable word here.

“As a school mentor and piano teacher for younger students, I developed skills in passing on information effectively and in listening to others with patience and respect. My experience in representing the school in badminton and hockey has given my stronger teamwork abilities, which I was able to apply in helping organise the school charity week, in which we raised £16,000. I hold positions of responsibility as a school prefect and founder of two societies, where I teach students musical theory and philosophy. Having also been a St John first aider for three years, I gained experience in making others feel comfortable in times of close contact and in assessing situations quickly and effectively. I also enjoy helping out at community events. Finally, I enjoy acting, and also performing magic; being able to instil wonder and joy in others is priceless.”

It’s important to watch out in this section of the personal statement: many extremely talented students apply for medical school, and it’s easy to run the risk of sounding arrogant if the way you phrase things isn’t carefully considered. In fact, this is a risk for all stages of the application !

One way to avoid sounding arrogant is to talk about how you ‘developed’ your skills, opposed to you already possessing them. For example, there’s a subtle difference between ‘I was given the responsibility to be a school mentor due to my strong communication skills’ and ‘I’ve developed strong communication skills through being a school mentor’.

Although the difference is certainly subtle, it can give you a sense of being humble, especially if you have impressive traits.

“I believe I have the humility, scientific acuity and empathy to become a committed doctor and to face the challenges ahead in my chosen career.”

The ending of this model statement isn’t particularly novel and many personal statements finish with something similar. It is important though to have a closing paragraph that links together your principal themes and affirms your suitability for medicine: in this case, the writer chooses scientific acuity, empathy and humility to be his big three qualities; moreover, the writer also slips in a few other qualities expected in medics, emphasising a commitment and readiness to overcome the challenges that are sure to come in the future.

Although simple, short and nothing original, the content in the closing paragraph was carefully chosen – it does the job and most importantly leaves a positive impression, which is the aim of the game.

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Medicine Personal Statement

The combination of the sciences, the latest technologies and social interaction makes medicine such an appealing subject area to me. I am inspired to develop, improve and use my skills in science to overcome the challenges and complexities associated with a medical career, and in doing so, potentially enhance the lives of those in need.

My interest in a career in medicine has been reinforced by my volunteering and work experience. I arranged a month’s placement shadowing a GP, observing consultations and speaking with members of the healthcare team about their roles in patient care. I was impressed at how the GP calmly reassured his patients, quickly determining the best course of action to take and explaining it to the patient. I encountered a broad spectrum of medical problems, from mental health issues to minor surgery. For a patient with carpal tunnel syndrome, I was taught the nerve testing procedure, which I successfully applied later that week on a patient presenting similar symptoms. Then on a home visit to a man with severe Parkinson’s disease, I realised how the doctor used his time, not only to help the patient, but to explore the concerns and fears of the family. As a volunteer at a local care home, I am a compassionate and supportive person for the residents to turn to when in need. Building on the communicative skills picked up from my GP placement, I have learnt to listen to and understand elderly patients’ views on their treatment and medication and how they affect their lives. I also realise the importance of a resident’s dignity, a patient approach and good palliative care. I will soon be undertaking a hospital placement to experience more acute healthcare. I am currently producing a research project on falls among the elderly. Using data collected from my GP placement, I will assess the risk factors associated and suggest possible precautions to reduce the risk. This will be a valuable activity as today’s ageing population poses many problems to the NHS, injuries from falls being a significant burden, especially in orthopaedics.

I enjoy reading around the subject of medicine . Goldacre’s ‘Bad Science’ revealed the importance of evidence-based medicine in ensuring a patient receives the optimum treatment. Then from Sacks’ ‘The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat’, I learnt a lot of medical terminology and an anecdote on Korsakoff’s syndrome led me to research the disorder further. I was able to see the link between alcoholism and the thiamine deficiency which is the primary cause of the anterograde amnesia that the condition presents due to mammillary body atrophy, and found it interesting that similar atrophy is present in many dementia sufferers. I keep up to date with what is new and developing in medical circles by reading The BMJ and its online research papers. With skills from ‘Bad Science’ I can spot flaws in research and I am aware of some of the strategies that drug companies can use to hide unflattering results.

I play football and have made over 100 appearances for my local youth team, winning the league 3 times, demonstrating my team-working ability. This year, my dad and I refurbished a Merlin Rocket  dinghy to sailing-standard, which we sail on the local Norfolk Broads. I maintain a good balance of my time to include my part-time job, volunteering, social life and academic commitments. This time management shows my determination to succeed and that I can learn to handle the time pressures associated with a medical career.

As my parents have healthcare backgrounds, I have a realistic grasp of what day-to-day medicine involves, having quizzed them with endless questions regarding a medical career: from their personal medical ethics to the current problems facing the NHS, such as the overuse of antidepressants and antibiotics. My academic record, direct experience and extracurricular reading demonstrate that I am self-motivated, keen and ready for a career in medicine.

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Medicine Personal Statement Example 4

This Medicine Personal Statement was successful for King's, Newcastle, Bristol and Sheffield.

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Have a look at this successful Medicine Personal Statement example for inspiration to help you plan and structure your Personal Statement .

My fascination with medicine has developed gradually through self-reflection and careful consideration of what it takes to be a doctor. Knowing that these individuals save lives and relieve the suffering of countless patients has been fundamental in attracting me to this role. My interest in problem-solving, passion for helping and caring, and research into the evolving world of medical treatment has solidified my desire to pursue medicine.

My work experience at the University Hospitals of Leicester provided me with further insight into the medical profession. I shadowed an Intensive Therapy Unit consultant where I observed two critically ill patients, one of whom died whilst the other made a full recovery. This event made me aware that doctors cannot always save the lives of their patients. I learnt of the importance of professionalism and bedside manners during several ITU ward rounds as concerned family members of patients needed to be assured that a high standard of care was being provided. The ward staff exhibited teamwork and coordination, skills that I have enhanced by volunteering alongside charity representatives of the British Heart Foundation, where close cooperation between staff is necessary in order to manage donations.

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Furthermore, my views on the importance of an empathetic approach to patients and respect for confidentiality were reinforced during my work experience at a GP practice , where I witnessed many consultations, all of which required patient consent for my presence and examinations carried out by the GP. Here I learnt of the patient-doctor relationship and the essential role of trust within this connection, as without trust, a patient may withhold sensitive information from their doctor, which could hamper their diagnosis.

I was struck by the difference in available resources compared to the NHS during my two-week hospital experience in Peshawar, Pakistan, where 39% of the population lives in multidimensional poverty. Experiencing Pakistan’s health system made me aware of how patients are managed in a resource-deficient setting. The contrast between the two health systems accentuated the value of NHS healthcare and the emphasis placed on patient safety.

Last winter I volunteered at a school for children with learning and physical disabilities, where I experienced a holistic approach to care. Interacting with children of varying levels of disability allowed me to exhibit skills in communication and adaptability as I learnt to tailor my style of conversation with the specific needs of each child. My confidence and communication skills have been advanced by undertaking the Grade 8 Speech and Drama Gold Award, which has amplified my impromptu speech delivery. This has sharpened my ability to make appropriate decisions in a short time frame, a dominant attribute of clinical decision making. Being the school Chemistry prefect has accentuated my ability to work in a team alongside teachers and other prefects in the school. I have also demonstrated leadership by teaching masterclasses to young students.

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Working towards the EPQ has equipped me with analysis and evaluation skills, which are paramount for interpreting data. Writing my project on the emerging obesity epidemic and its impact on the NHS stems from my passion for fitness and fuels my desire to expand my knowledge of healthcare. Health and fitness form the cornerstone of my extracurricular activities, as I am passionate about boxing and enjoy weightlifting with my friends. This aids my self discipline and ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

I am a self-motivated person who is stimulated by challenges, and strive to do my best in all endeavors I undertake. I recognise that being a doctor requires resilience as well as a lifetime of sincere commitment and self-development. I believe that I possess the skills and attributes necessary to succeed in this fruitful and dynamic role.

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Medicine Personal Statement Example 3

Medicine personal statement example 5.

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A rapid review of the effectiveness of interventions to enhance equitable or overall access to mental health services by ethnic minority groups

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Abstract: It is estimated that one in four people will experience poor mental health throughout their lifetime. However, ethnic minority groups, refugees and asylum seekers experience more barriers accessing mental health services and have poorer mental health outcomes than those from non-ethnic minority groups. Evidence suggests that interventions that improve access and engagement with mental health services may help reduce disparities affecting ethnic minority groups. This review aims to assess the effectiveness of interventions that enhance equitable or overall access to mental health services by ethnic minority groups. The review included evidence available up until 19th December 2023. Psycho-educational interventions that focused on providing culturally appropriate information, showed mixed results for help seeking behaviour, improvements in depressions stigma. Multi-component interventions within healthcare settings had mixed results. Some studies showed positive outcomes; such as increased help seeking intentions and improved attendance rates, while others did not show significant differences in outcomes. Interventions that included integrating specialist mental health services within primary care resulted in variable outcomes. The findings of interventions incorporating language support into mental health services were also variable. The effectiveness of interventions to enhance the cultural competency of mental health services varied across studies. Research Implications and Evidence Gaps: Future research should prioritise rigorous study designs, including randomised controlled trials and longitudinal studies. More research is required to compare outcomes between ethnic minority participants and White participants. Economic considerations: Ethnic minority individuals are disproportionately affected by economic determinants of poor mental health including increased likelihood of low income. Future research should investigate the economic benefit from an NHS and societal perspective of improving access to mental health services for ethnic minority individuals.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Funding Statement

The Centre for Health Economics and Medicines Evaluation, the Bangor Institute for Medical and Health Research, and the Swansea Centre for Health Economics were funded for this work by the Health and Care Research Wales Evidence Centre, itself funded by Health and Care Research Wales on behalf of Welsh Government

Author Declarations

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.

I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.

Data Availability

All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors

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