Writing a personal statement to apply for a Medicine degree
A personal statement is an essential part of any university application but it’s especially important for a Medicine degree because it’s where you get the chance to discuss your work experience and interest in medicine.
Your personal statement it what makes you stand out to admissions tutors as the person they want on their course. After all, the grade expectations are so high that you need something to make you different from the hundreds of other applicants with AAA grades.
A powerful personal statement is your key to admissions success so it’s important to take your time writing it, leave plenty of time for editing, and show it to as many people as possible to get their opinions.
Here are our top tips on writing a personal statement to apply for a Medicine degree:
Top tips for a good personal statement
- Your personal statement should be no longer than 4000 characters with spaces – this doesn’t give you a lot of room to say everything you need to say!
- Explain clearly and honestly why you want to study Medicine – “just because” isn’t a proper answer
- Don’t even think about copying someone else or “borrowing” sample personal statements from the internet
- Don’t lie – yes it’s tempting to make yourself sound like a model student with bags of work experience but unless you’ve done it, don’t write it in your personal statement
- Keep it generic – your personal statement will be sent to all of your choices so don’t mention universities or medical schools by name
- Don’t rush – start writing as early as possible so you’ll get your personal in with plenty of time before the deadline
- Proofread it and proofread it again – you only get one chance to make that first impression so don’t send in a personal statement with spelling and grammar mistakes
What do admissions tutors look for in a good personal statement?
The medical school admissions tutors want to see that you can communicate well, that you’re knowledge and passionate about your subject, and that you’re a good fit for their university.
Essentially you need to answer two questions –
- Why you want to study Medicine
- Why you’re right for the course you’re applying to
When reading your personal statement the admissions tutors will ask themselves two questions –
- Is this student right for the subject and course?
- Is this student right for our university?
If you can cover those four questions in your personal statement then you should be successful in your application.
What should I avoid putting in my personal statement?
There are definitely some things you should leave out of your personal statement if you want the admissions tutors to take your application seriously.
For example:
- Quotes and clichés– if you’re thinking about it, chances are every other medicine applicant is too
- Jokes– things don’t always come across on paper the way they would if you were talking to someone face to face
- Irrelevant information– you haven’t got a lot of room so unless the information or personal fact adds to your application, leave it out
- Negative comments– it sounds obvious but you’re meant to be selling yourself, not telling people you’re not very good at sports or can’t ride a bike
- Boasting– as much as you need to big yourself up, don’t boast. Stick to the facts when it comes to achievements and qualifications
- Yawn statements– “I enjoy cooking”, “I like socialising”… you get the picture…
Where can I find examples of a Medicine personal statement?
There are plenty of examples of good personal statements on the internet and your school or college library may also keep some.
You can find an example Medicine personal statement on the Apply To Uni website. Just remember what we said about not being tempted to copy the examples you read!
Where can I find more information on writing the perfect personal statement?
At Apply to Uni we’re dedicated to helping you get into the university or medical school of your dreams so we have plenty of information on every stage of the university application process, including personal statements.
You can also contact the universities you’re applying to directly and asking their admissions tutor what they’re looking for in a personal statement. They should be able to give you guidance on the entire application process.
