medical personal statement ucas

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Medicine Personal Statement Examples

Last updated: 29/6/2023

• Is Medicine Right for Me?
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• What is the UCAT?
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• BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT)
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• Medicine PS Examples
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• What Our "Plan B" Looked Like

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

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

In this article, we will:

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

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

What you'll find in this article:

Personal statement example 1 – introduction

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

To get into medical school , your personal statement should:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The stronger parts of this introduction include the following:

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

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

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

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

The better features of this example are:

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

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

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

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

Better aspects of this example:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Strong personal statement example analysis

Introduction.

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

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

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

Paragraph 2 

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

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

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

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

P aragraphs 3 and 4 

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

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

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

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

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

Paragraphs 5 and 6 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Weak personal statement example analysis

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

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

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

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• Medical School Application

UCAS Personal Statement Examples

Personal statement examples for the ucas medical school application.

UCAS personal statement examples can be a great coaching tool for applicants applying to  medical schools in the UK through UCAS. Students will need to submit a personal statement with their UCAS application, to demonstrate why they want to be a medical doctor and how they meet the requirements of the discipline. UCAS personal statements need a blend of the relevant personal, professional, and academic qualities of the applicant in a compelling narrative. In this blog, we’ll tell you what is required of your UCAS personal statement and show you 5 prime examples of UCAS personal statement examples.

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Article Contents 18 min read

If you are applying through UCAS to study medicine, your medicine personal statement has one key goal: to demonstrate why you want to become a medical doctor. This must be done by conveying your motivations, explaining why you are a good fit for the profession, and demonstrating what you have done to learn about medicine as a career. A strong personal statement will weave a narrative that paints a picture of who you are as a student, as a candidate for the program(s) to which you are applying, and as a person.

The medicine personal statement for UCAS must be no longer than 4,000 characters (including spaces), and is submitted as part of the overall UCAS application. The due date for UCAS is mid-October, and thus this is also the due date for your personal statement and the rest of your application materials.

I’ve had a good deal of privilege in my life. My family isn’t wealthy, but we’ve always had enough food, access to resources, reasonable shelter, the ability to fulfill all needs and many wants. The biggest realization of my life has been understanding just how privileged that basic description is. Through volunteer work and guided inquiry, I have come to see how central physicians are to contributing to their communities and to increasing equitable access to healthcare worldwide. At home and abroad, for individuals and populations, physicians play a critical role in advancing well-being and equality. I want to be on the frontlines of providing access to care, so I can contribute to that global effort.

Two years ago, the Missing Maps Project came to my school. Missing Maps is a project founded by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which crowdsources map creation for vulnerable developing areas. While we take something as basic as maps for granted, many places in the world still need mapping; Google Maps doesn’t chart places like rural South Sudan. These maps help groups like MSF reach those in need of care, particularly following conflicts or other disasters. Participating in this project and learning about MSF introduced me to the world of humanitarian medical aid, expanding my understanding of how physicians can contribute to social justice work. It also gave me a whole new perspective of what such work requires in our shared world. If something as fundamental as basic mapping can mean the difference between someone receiving aid or not, this means the gaps in access to care are much larger than I’d once assumed; it also means that there are ways for medical and humanitarian individuals to come together to make real and lasting impact in the struggle for social justice.

Working on this project sparked my interest in pursuing medicine as a career. It was immensely satisfying to contribute meaningfully, but the deeper I looked into the issue, the more I wanted to be one of the people heading to the areas we mapped. I started volunteering at King’s College Hospital and took on several shadowing opportunities with local physicians. I was scheduled for a volunteer shift at King’s at 8am on June 14. When I awoke that morning, news of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire was everywhere. I rushed to the hospital, knowing that there would be patients in need, worried families, and dedicated staff, all whom I could help in some way – even if only with a warm blanket, a kind word, or a cup of tea. Being in the hospital that day and seeing the camaraderie of the health team, the precision of their efforts, and their love for the community put so many things into perspective for me. I was grateful to contribute and support them in any way, but I also determined there and then to pursue medicine not just as a career, but as a calling.

Along with shadowing physicians and pushing myself to excel academically, I completed an Emergency First Aid course. Soon after, I received advanced First Aid training and began working as an Event First Aid Volunteer through the Red Cross. Physician shadowing and first aid work helped me understand the practicals of healthcare work. I learned that I have a knack for the technical elements of providing such care, and that I can maintain composure in tense situations. I also learned that the mundane realities and long hours of a physician’s work are well worth the meaning derived from that work. 

I have excelled in my science A levels and enjoy the precision and problem-solving needed to do so. More than that, though, I am driven by the desire to know enough to bring people care when they need it, to run toward those in crisis and provide aid. I want to become a physician so I can use my academic skills, my experiences, and my privileges to acquire more knowledge and advance wellness, caring for my community and building bridges over the gaps of access to care, both at home and abroad. (3966 characters)

In essence, your UCAS personal statement for medicine has one job: to answer the question, “ Why do you want to be a doctor ?” This singular goal, however, is more complex than it seems. Discussing your motivation requires more than simply articulating your own personal reasons for pursuing medicine; it also requires you to show what makes you suitable for such a profession, what you’ve done to learn more about the profession, and what drives you to follow this particular path.

Describing personal experiences that shaped your perspective and aspiration is definitely part of the personal statement essay, but you also need to summarize key roles you’ve had and activities you’ve completed, in ways that show your reader that you are already taking this pursuit seriously. That is to say, while desire and motivation are part of your story, these must be backed up with evidence. What have you done to learn more about the day-to-day realities of practicing medicine? What volunteer or paid work have you done that have helped you develop the qualities sought in aspiring medical professionals? What self-directed learning have you undertaken to personally advance your knowledge?

Admissions committees review your personal statement to determine how your experiences have shaped you and your desire to practice medicine, and how you have used your experiences and opportunities to demonstrate key qualities of the medical profession. Per the Medical Schools Council’s Statement on the Core Values and Attributes Needed to Study Medicine , those key qualities are:

• Motivation to study medicine and genuine interest in the medical profession
• Insight into your own strengths and weaknesses
• The ability to reflect on your own work
• Personal organization
• Academic ability
• Problem solving
• Dealing with uncertainty
• Manage risk and deal effectively with problems
• Ability to take responsibility for your own actions
• Conscientiousness
• Insight into your own health
• Effective communication, including reading, writing, listening and speaking
• Ability to treat people with respect
• Resilience and the ability to deal with difficult situations
• Empathy and the ability to care for others

My passion for medicine was sparked in an unconventional place: my garden. I have vivid memories from my youth, spending time nourishing life in the flower and vegetable beds my mother diligently tended every year. When I was very young, I admittedly just liked playing in the dirt. As I grew, however, I understood the beauty of watching each tiny seed reach invariably toward the sun, taking on new and evolving forms at each stage of growth, struggling defiantly from the soil with a singular goal: to live. I witnessed how my mother’s care strengthened the tiny seedlings, the response each fragile life had to her efforts. A bit more nitrogen here, a bit less calcium there; snip this off, secure that with a tie; protect them from anything that could harm them. That sense of awe at life’s workings has propelled me toward the field of medicine.

Two years ago, I began volunteering in a local retirement home, helping residents to meals and ensuring basic needs were met. In the hours before or after my shifts, I visited with welcoming residents, keeping them company and learning about their lives. The lessons they taught me, their zest for life in its golden years, helped me connect my fascination with life’s processes to my desire to foster wellness in others. I also began learning the daily realities of providing care from the medical staff. I saw them burst into action when a code was called, and I watched them develop meaningful relationships with the residents, who thrived under their expertise and warmth. Being part of a team devoted to the care and comfort of others quickly became a calling.

I began shadowing physicians at Lincoln County Hospital, particularly in the rehabilitation ward. Watching doctors and other medical professionals work with patients overcoming tremendous injury, watching those patients themselves in their tenacious effort to heal and thrive, helped me see both the highs and lows of medicine. I cannot help but be invested in the patients’ efforts – efforts that sometimes exceed expectations, and that sometimes fall short. I’ve seen doctors, nurses, and patients alike light up as a trauma patient took his first independent steps in months; I have seen the dashed hopes when a similar patient was not able to support herself in the expected timeframe. What draws me in, though, is that drive – shared by medical professionals and those under their care – that continuous reaching toward the light, toward wellness, toward growth. Between my scholastic accomplishments, my innate curiosity, and my sense of awe for all those who strive for their own well-being and that of others, I am confident that my vocational path leads to the practice of medicine.

My A levels have left me enthralled with the sciences, especially the hands-on learning that takes place in labs. Learning more about biology and chemistry, the living systems of all bodies, has nurtured the curiosity I developed in my youth, while also helping me refine my practical problem-solving skills. Uncovering the hidden processes that sustain life, and the equilibrium that keeps those processes running, leaves me eagerly anticipating new modules and assignments for the knowledge they will bring. As demonstrated in my supporting materials, this dedication has resulted in excellent marks and the gold medal in the Biology Olympiads. What matters most to me, though, is the refined understanding and the deeper questions I am able to ask with each step of the learning process.

My mother’s love of gardening instilled in me a love for caring and tending and a sense of wonder for the functions of life, and my own academic interests have propelled me toward the sciences. The field of medicine allows me to combine both of these, while also learning more about how to prioritize the wellness and well-being of others. To pursue this in the noble field of medicine would be to combine my deepest passions and follow my most intense interests, and to do so in the service of others. (3999 characters)

Check out our video for a recap:

I’ve been lucky in my life not to have to think about my health status. I’ve always been healthy. I’ve never broken a bone or had to take more than one or two visits to the emergency room in my childhood. I do my best to eat right, to exercise plenty, and I have the luxury of good genetic health, too. And being an able-bodied, healthy person is a luxury. It’s a privilege I’ve enjoyed. Others have not been as lucky as me.

I first realized how fortunate I was many years ago, when I first met Tim. Tim was the first friend I made as the new kid in fourth grade. As a shy kid, having moved across the country the previous week, introducing myself to a crowd of students who’d all known each other for years was scary. Tim made the transition easier, by immediately coming up to me and offering the hand of friendship. Tim was funny, outgoing, athletic, and a supportive friend. Tim also used a wheelchair every day of his life.

At the time, I’d never met someone who uses a wheelchair. I had no idea of the physical, mental, and emotional struggles Tim dealt with everyday, as a disabled person in a rural town, often without access to proper accommodations. Our school only had one ramp. Before I met Tim, I had no idea how much extra effort he needed to put in just to live his life the same way I did. After finding out about the ramp, I did some at-home research with my dad’s help on how much wheelchair ramps cost to install and the specifications needed for a proper ramp. Then I went around my neighbourhood, the schoolyard and even the local park asking for donations until, many weeks later, I had enough to present to the school to get Tim another ramp.

In our teens, Tim and I started competing together in obstacle runs. Essentially, a foot race with some extra challenge thrown in for fun. On top of running, it requires jumping, climbing, crawling and other physical feats of strength and endurance to complete. Together, Tim and I have completed seven races. Me on foot, Tim on wheels. Tim even purchased an expensive new wheelchair with modifications like smaller wheels with wider treads and a lowered back that would make it easier and more comfortable for him to compete.

Six of those races, we organized together. Our first race was completed in a nearby city, which had been organizing the event for many years, and had the facilities and crew to make it happen. There were hundreds of racers. Some of them were in wheelchairs, like Tim. From them, we learned it was possible to host an athletic event that was all-inclusive and all fun. We got to work planning and executing our own race in our rural town.

Where we lacked the paved foot trails and equipment to set up challenging obstacles, we used dirt paths through the woods. We climbed over and under logs, hung from the support beams of a bridge, scaled up rope ladders we made ourselves. We did a trial run, and Tim was able to complete our homemade obstacle course in the woods after we cleared out any safety concerns like rocks and sticks and installed some ropes and handholds for him to use.

Researching and installing these adaptations to the course reminded me of my campaign to install a wheelchair ramp at our school. It reinforced how important it was for Tim to have access to proper equipment. The more I researched, the more I realized how much extra expense it is for patients to get the medical equipment and aid they need to succeed. On top of that, how important it was to install equipment like ramps properly to avoid accidents and deterioration. My interest in learning about medical accessibility prompted me to look seriously at it as a future career.

My friendship with Tim is what inspired me to seek a career in medicine. No one should have to struggle to live their life as they please, without access to the infrastructure and equipment they need. Tim is living proof that people like him can succeed in spite of a lack of access. But he shouldn’t have to. It is my goal to contribute the skills I have learned through this experience to finding better solutions and providing easy access to all. Good living shouldn’t be a luxury for only a few.

UCAS Personal Statement Example #4

The hardest part of being a paramedic is not knowing. My patients are in my care for minutes at most, in the mad rush to the emergency room. For my patients, they will be the most critical minutes of their lives. For me, they are some of the longest minutes I’ve ever experienced. Sometimes long enough for me to learn their names, to learn about their lives. And then I pass them into the care of the emergency room staff, and my job is done. My care ends at the closed hospital doors.

Most of the time, I don’t get to find out what happened to my patients. If I was successful, and got them there in time, or not. If I’m lucky, I might hear something through the grapevine or on the news. But usually, it’s back on the rig and on to the next emergency call.

I chose to become a paramedic because I couldn’t imagine another profession that suited me more. But now, after having served as a paramedic for nearly a decade, I decided it was time to change course, and take my passion for patient care further. So, I decided to apply for medical school.

Being a physician means committing to contributing positively to the profession and knowing that caring for a patient goes beyond the boundaries of diagnosing a problem and prescribing a fix. Ensuring my patients make it through their emergency requires much more from me than my medical knowledge, my technical skill and my focused attention. It requires my care. I need to give my patients the best possible care by investing in them. Many times, I wouldn’t have been able to provide to answer to a question without knowing all the facts. Those personal questions that EMTs and doctors ask you do have a reason!

Attending medical school will give me a chance to grow. Not just through the expansion of my medical knowledge and the practice of my medical skill, but it will give me a chance to apply my experience as a paramedic to patients who are coming out of the other side of an emergency. I already know I possess the grace under pressure, the ability to make quick decisions and act on them, needed of a doctor. But I know by specializing my skillset and learning more about the medical profession, I’ll be able to step through the hospital doors and continue in my mission to care for my patients.

At this point in my life, I feel I am ready to don the white coat. I have nine years as an EMT and have received numerous commendations for my service. I know I provide the best care I possibly can, on every call. I am ready to learn, to develop myself, and to take my skills into the emergency room. It is my goal to be the empathetic presence patients can expect after their care. To be the voice of wisdom they can turn to. With a medical degree from [University], I believe I will achieve my goal.

Check out this video for how to write a killer introduction to your personal statement:

I have always held a special connection with the elderly. As a child, I would often visit my great-grandmother in the small-town care home where she lived. Living so close and being able to visit her every week was a blessing for me. Hearing her stories and recollections was a unique learning experience for me, and an insight into another time.

My great-grandmother grew up in a rural area in the early 20th century. When she was a child, her family relied on lamps to light their home instead of electricity, and a water pump instead of a faucet for cooking and cleaning. Healthcare consisted of home remedies and a visit to the local doctor three towns away.

During my weekly visits, we would talk and play cards, and she would share her experiences with me. As I grew older, I began to take more notice of the nursing staff at her care home. I noted how they were perpetually understaffed, but always working hard to provide for the patients in our small town, some of whom had lived in the area their entire lives, like my great-grandmother. When I was a teen, I decided to volunteer my free time at the care home. It gave me a chance to continue visiting my great-grandmother and the other residents I had befriended, and I was able to do some good and add a gold star to my resume. Not only that, I was able to get hands-on experience caring for senior patients, learning what is required of senior care and expanding my knowledge of their healthcare.

But while I was volunteering there, working with patients sparked my passion. As I prepared for the end of high school and started working on my college applications, I realized the answer to what I wanted to do was right in front of me. I wanted to go into healthcare.

One patient in particular—a long-time resident and friend of my grandmother’s—related to me a story I will never forget. She’d grown up on a dairy farm with four siblings, and often helped her parents with the chores. After a fall off a ladder where her brother broke his arm, she and her brothers and sisters were able to quickly fashion a homemade splint for him, having crafted them before to fix a calf’s broken leg. The splint held until they were able to get her brother to the nearest town doctor.

Working in the care home, speaking to the different residents about their memories and experiences, it was fascinating to hear how much medicine and healthcare had evolved over the years. It was inspiring to compare the 40 km trek my great-great-grandparents had undertaken to ensure their children could see a doctor, to having full-time care in their very own home today. And it forged a bond between myself and senior patients, who remind me of how far we’ve come, and the areas where we’re lacking and need improvement.

I want to become a doctor so I can continue the work of caring for the senior patients like my great-grandmother. As a volunteer, I’ve already been able to experience what it is like to work in a seniors’ care home, but I know as a fully-fledged medical doctor I will be able to step up in numerous ways. Seniors have specialized healthcare needs, and many of them have lived through the continuous evolution of the field of medicine, so they have experiences to share, too.

I believe I can bring this first-hand and hands-on learning with me into medical school. But I am also eager to deepen my medical knowledge and learn how to be the best doctor I can be. I know I will be an asset to this program and an excellent future example of the kind of physicians this program can produce.

A UCAS personal statement is part of your application to chosen medical schools. It’s an opportunity to express your passion for a field of study, and demonstrate the skills and experience you have that would be an asset to the profession.

A UCAS personal statement should answer the question: why do you want to be a medical doctor? It should include information on your personal motivations and experiences, as well as any professional experience in the medical field or extracurricular or volunteer activity relating to your motivation for applying.

UCAS personal statements should be around 550-600 words, or no more than 4,000 characters.

Personal statements should always include an introduction, a few body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Yes! Proofreading is always important to make sure your essay is polished and free of errors. If an admissions committee sees you haven’t proofread your work, it may indicate you don’t have attention to detail or care for your work.

It depends on how quickly you write, but it generally will take more than a day. Before you start writing, you’ll need to brainstorm ideas, research the schools you plan to apply to, draft your essay and make time for rewrites and edits. This is why it’s best to start writing as soon as possible.

Focus on the information about the school’s culture, program curriculum and values. See how they align with your own values and experiences to see if it would be a good fit for you.

It depends on the program you’re applying to, but in general it is a requirement of most UK medical schools.

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Have a question ask our admissions experts below and we'll answer your questions.

Abubakari Leila

Please I want the personal statement letter which covers educational background and working experience in nursing

BeMo Academic Consulting

Hello Abubakari! Thanks for your comment! When we update the blog, we will be sure to include a sample like this. 

Medha Namala

Have all of these examples essays been accepted?

Hey Medha! Thanks for your comment. Some of these were, while others were written by our admissions experts as examples. 

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Medicine personal statements

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

A word of warning

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

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

A note on plagiarism

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

All wiki articles on: Medicine Personal Statements

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UCAS personal statement for Graduate Entry to medicine

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

Key elements to include:

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

How to write your personal statement

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

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

Top tips: Medicmind personal statement

Examples of successful statements:

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

Your medicine personal statement is one of the most important elements of your medical school application. Competition for medical school is always fierce, and you can expect more of the same if you are submitting an application in 2024. Therefore, your personal statement will be essential to distinguish yourself from other applicants.

Universities will factor it into their decision-making process by comparing candidates before or after an interview , along with the result from your admission exam (if applicable) and your predicted grades. You should see your personal statement as an opportunity to show universities more about you, your experiences and your motivation for applying.

Is the personal statement changing in 2024?

If you're applying in 2024 for 2025 entry, you may have heard that changes were expected for your personal statement. However, UCAS has confirmed that this won't be happening in 2024. Instead, changes are expected for those applying in 2025 for 2026 entry. This isn’t going to be a complete overhaul. Instead, the personal statement is being reformed to include a series of questions, providing more structure to those writing it.

As it stands, UCAS has confirmed personal statements will be written around the following questions:

• Motivation for the course: Why do you want to study these courses? You should research medicine courses at different universities and look at which modules you’d like to study, ensuring they provide what you’re looking for. The question itself is an opportunity to express which parts of medicine you’re most interested in, the area of speciality training you’d like to commit to after university, and your future career ambitions ‍
• Preparation for the course: How has your learning so far helped you to be ready to succeed on these courses? This question will require you to highlight the knowledge and skills you have gained from school, college or any other formal learning opportunities. Of course, your answers will be personal to you. However, you should demonstrate an understanding of what will help you succeed in your medicine course. ‍
• Preparedness through other experiences: What else have you done to help you prepare, and why are these experiences useful? Shadowing a doctor or volunteering at a hospital are great opportunities and provide you with valuable insight into what it’s like to be a doctor. However, securing clinical experience while you’re still in school is difficult. Finding a role that allows you to care for and support ill, disabled, disadvantaged, or vulnerable people is just as valuable at this stage, though. You should explain what you’ve learned from these experiences, the skills you’ve developed, and why they’ll help you in your medicine course.

The good news is that you would be writing about these subjects anyway. If anything, the questions might make the writing process easier, as it ensures that you only include relevant material. Remember, this is expected to come into effect in 2025, so if you’re applying this year, you don’t need to follow this structure.

How to write a personal statement for medicine

Your personal statement is a key opportunity to show your chosen universities the skills and experiences that make you a suitable candidate, as well as your ambitions for a career in medicine. You’ll find some guidance on what you should aim to include in your personal statement in the next section, but it’ll also be useful to consider the following when preparing to write your personal statement:

1. The UCAS character limit

One of the biggest challenges when looking at areas that you need to cover is trying to include everything within the tight UCAS character limit. Remember, you only have 4,000 characters, which is roughly 550–1000 words or two sides of A4. Consider which elements are most important to you and which qualities and experiences you want to demonstrate, as there may be things you have to sacrifice to avoid exceeding the character limit.

2. Your writing style

The quality of your writing is important within your personal statement, so consider your choice of language carefully and remember your audience and what you’re trying to convey. Equally, ensure that your writing is cohesive and flows well; so while you'll undoubtedly have a list of skills, experiences and information you want to include, you want to avoid it reading like a list.

3. Making your experiences relevant

Whether you’re discussing work experience you’ve undertaken or hobbies or clubs that you partake in, you should always focus on making them relevant to your future studies. Universities aren’t looking for a narrative of work experience that you’ve carried out; they’re interested in what you learned as a result of the experience. Your personal statement should reflect on any work experience and demonstrate what skills and/or qualities you’ve developed which are required within the medical profession. Similarly, with your hobbies or clubs, you should reflect on relevant skills and qualities that you have developed as a result of these.

4. How you will demonstrate your knowledge of working within the medical profession

As well as demonstrating your motivation for working within the medical profession, it’s also important to show that you have a realistic understanding of what this entails, which can be achieved by acknowledging the less attractive side of medicine. However, ensure that you put a positive spin on any negatives you present and allow your passion for medicine to come through. Linking to your work experience is a great way of doing this. For example, you could highlight challenges that you observed within medical practice but focus on the positives that came from this: was it multidisciplinary teamwork, effective communication, or challenging individuals to continue to develop their skills and knowledge?

Medicine Personal Statement Structure

There isn’t a set personal statement template which you need to follow, however, there are some essential things which you should try to include. The UCAS website previously advised that university admissions tutors are looking for evidence of the following:

1. Your understanding of the subject area and the demands of the medical profession, as well as your motivation to study and fulfil the requirements of your future role.

This can be demonstrated in a number of ways:

• Relevant work experience and shadowing - remember to focus on what you learnt and the skills and qualities you developed as a result of the work experience, and only include concise descriptions of what tasks you did, and only when relevant.
• Reference to additional reading around key issues, topics and the latest research - only include things you will be confident discussing at your interview, should it be referred to.
• Membership of relevant societies / clubs - don’t simply list these, make meaningful links between the knowledge, skills and qualities you have developed through your participation in these.

2. Your interests outside of your academic study.

For example, sports, music, volunteering. Again, remember to use these to demonstrate your skills and qualities that will make you a suitable candidate for medical school.

3. Your ability to work individually and as a member of a team.

Give examples of occasions when you’ve demonstrated that you can work effectively within a team and as an individual. You may also want to include examples of situations where you’ve led a group, if you have experience of this.

4. Your personal qualities which make you suitable for a career in medicine.

Try to provide examples which demonstrate your personal qualities which make you a suitable candidate for medical school, for example your empathy, your resilience, your drive, etc., by linking to your work experience, your hobbies and even your academic studies.

5. Your analytical and critical thinking skills demonstrated through a well written personal statement.

The most effective way to demonstrate your skills is by providing examples, using your experiences to show that you process the required analytical and critical thinking skills to make you a suitable candidate.

Excellent Medicine Personal Statement Tips

Writing your personal statement can seem daunting; keep it simple with the following useful tips:

1. Plan what you want to include

Using the information above to help you, create a plan of what you want to include, whether that’s using a mind map, lists, or any other method that works for you. This will ensure you know which experiences, skills, and qualities you want to share before starting your personal statement.

2. Draft, draft and draft again

Don’t worry about making your personal statement perfect the first time around (or keeping within the character limit for that matter). Once you’ve written everything you want to include you can begin rewording sentences, moving sections around, and editing parts that are less significant so you can get within the character limit.

3. Give yourself lots of time

It's simple but so important. All those drafts take time, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to write. You don’t want your personal statement to appear rushed or to miss important information that will help your application.

4. Draw on trusted family members, friends or teachers to check over your statement

Getting a second opinion is useful for picking up errors you might have missed or showing you where you can sell yourself more. Just be careful to avoid taking on board too many opinions, as you want you to make sure it’s your voice which comes through.

5. Read it aloud

It’s so basic but it makes spotting punctuation and grammatical errors easier. It’ll also help ensure that it flows and reads well, which admissions tutors will be looking for.

How to Start a Medicine Personal Statement

Often the most difficult part with any written piece is getting started; there is generally a focus on ensuring that your first paragraph captivates your reader and makes them want to read more, which can create a stumbling block when you begin writing. A useful tactic to help you to avoid staring at a blank page for hours, is to ignore your opening altogether, and to begin as if you’re picking it up after an introductory sentence or two. Once you’ve written your first draft, you’ll find it easier to draw out interesting points and to rework them to create an opening statement.

It’s important within your opening paragraph to show your passion and your reasons for wanting to study medicine; the difficulty is trying to avoid cliches, when it’s highly likely that your reasons for wanting to study medicine are similar to many students who have come before you. Sharing your interests which are related to medicine, or your personal experiences (your work experience, volunteering, etc.), which have developed your passion, is an effective way to achieve this in an individual way. Don’t get fixated on trying to stand out; focus on giving an honest account of why you want to study medicine and your interests and experiences that have helped you to decide this, and avoid using unrealistic or exaggerated reasons or experiences.

Remember, while your opening section is important, it is also just one part of your overall statement; make sure that it adds to your personal statement (remember that tight character limit) and isn’t just there to grab attention.

Graduate Entry Medicine Personal Statement

If you’re applying for the graduate entry route, not only will the UCAS rules be the same for your personal statement (for example, the character limit, deadline, etc.), but what you should aim to include will also remain the same. However, university admission tutors will have higher expectations for graduate entry applicants’ skills, competencies and experiences, given that you have undertaken a degree previously and likely have more experience.Therefore, sharing relevant work experience, as well as any academic achievements or other accomplishments which are relevant, will allow you to demonstrate that you meet these expectations.

Even if your current or previous employment is not health-related, it may still be relevant to your application, if you're able to demonstrate the transferable skills which will be useful for a career in medicine. Where possible, provide examples of additional work experience within medical or care settings, if your employment isn’t health-related, to demonstrate your commitment to studying medicine and your development of skills to support this. Remember to limit your descriptions of your work experience, to include only what is necessary, and focus on reflecting on your experiences and the skills and qualities you have developed as a result of them.

Writing a Graduate Entry Medicine Personal Statement

As with other routes into medicine, you’ll be expected to demonstrate why you want to study and your passion for a future career in medicine. Admission tutors will also assess whether you have the required attributes for a career in medicine and a realistic view of what it entails. Again, reflecting on your previous work experiences, either voluntary or paid, as well as your previous degree, if it’s relevant, will allow you to demonstrate that you meet these requirements.

You can find more guidance on entry requirements, funding and admissions exams in our Graduate Entry Medicine blog .

A Good Medicine Personal Statement

Finally, remember that a good medical personal statement will look completely different depending on the candidate. Focus on sharing your unique experiences, skills, and qualities, as well as your personal ambitions and passion for a career in medicine. Admission tutors want to see that, and it will make you stand out as an individual.

For more personal statement tips visit the UCAS ‘How to write your undergraduate personal statement’. Our dedicated ‘Applying to medical school' section can also help you with all aspects of your medical school application and interview.

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UK Medical School Admissions Experts

• Kajal Tamber

UK Medical School UCAS Personal Statement Explained

The Personal Statement is a short piece of writing which provides a chance for you to showcase who you are and wow the medical admissions tutors. It is an opportunity for you to explain why you want to study medicine and why they should consider you an excellent candidate.

To stand out from the pool of thousands of applicants, you need to make sure your Personal Statement is in tip-top shape prior to UCAS submissions!

What is a UCAS Personal Statement?

Your Personal Statement is part of your UCAS application. It is a written piece of text which allows you to showcase yourself to universities and support your application. It will enable you to write all the skills you have, any experiences which strengthen your application, and a chance to explain WHY you want to study medicine and why the universities should pick YOU over all other applicants.

How long is the UCAS Personal Statement?

Your Personal Statement can be up to 4,000 characters (roughly 600 words) or 47 lines of text (including spaces and blank lines).

What should I include in my Personal Statement?

It is completely up to you!

As a rough guide, we recommend including the following:

Motivation – why do you personally want to study medicine & become a doctor?

Exposure – what you have done to learn more about the profession, e.g. work experience & extra-curricular activities

Suitability – why you are a good candidate for medicine

How Should I Structure My Personal Statement?

Whilst there is no officially mandated structure, we recommend the following for your medical school personal statement:

Introduction – why you want to study medicine

Work experience and volunteering

Wider reading & studies

Skills & extra-curricular activities

Do all Medical Schools look at the Personal Statement?

No. That’s the short answer.

The Personal Statement will be submitted to all the universities to which you apply via UCAS, and they will all be able to see it. However, not all universities use it to decide which candidates receive an interview or offer. The vast majority of universities will say if they do or do not use the Personal Statement and how they use it. This can be found on the University websites.

Nonetheless, your Personal Statement remains a very important part of your application to ALL universities as they have the right to change their interview/offer criteria even after the UCAS deadline!

How do I Submit my Personal Statement?

Your Personal Statement is submitted as part of your UCAS online application. You do not need to send it to universities yourself.

When is the Personal Statement Deadline?

Saturday 15th October 2022 at 18:00 (UK time) is the UCAS deadline for September 2023 entry for medicine and everything MUST be submitted by this time.

We recommend having your Personal Statement ready well before this deadline, the earlier the better!

Who Can Help Me With My Personal Statement?

Sign up for our 2-hour Medicine Personal Statement Workshop to get started!

If you would like a more focused approach, we offer 1-1 tutoring on your Personal Statement

Getting feedback on your Personal Statement is very important! Have your friends and family read over it for you. And have your finished Personal Statement reviewed by one of our expert team – you can pick between a medical student review or a doctor review!

Any Further Questions?

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Tips and Tricks for the Personal Statement

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

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

Why is the personal statement so important?

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

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

Ground rules for the personal statement?

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

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

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

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

How to get started?

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

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

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

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

How to structure your personal statement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Balancing what other medical schools are looking for vs Oxbridge

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

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

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

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

SAQ (Cambridge specific)

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

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

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

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

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

Reflection in your personal statement

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

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

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

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

S – Situation

T – Task

A – Action

R – Result

R – Reflection

Common pitfalls

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

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

Teacher’s references

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

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

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

Summer School

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

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

Asking for feedback on personal statement

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

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

How your personal statement is used at interview

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

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

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

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

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

Koby Kalavannan and Laura Stirling

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

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How Universities Use Your Medicine Personal Statement

Check our table to see how every Medical School uses your Personal Statement - and find out which ones place a strong emphasis on this part of your application.

Med Schools And Personal Statements

• Find out how Med Schools use Personal Statements
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You need to understand how universities use your Medicine Personal Statement because you’ll need to know whether it can make – or break – your UCAS application .

How Do Med Schools Use Personal Statements?

In general, there are five main ways that your Personal Statement could be used by Medical Schools:

• Not used in any part of the selection process at all
• Read but not assessed
• To shortlist candidates to invite to interview
• To form the basis of questions at interview
• To help decide between two candidates who are otherwise equally tied

For example, Brighton and Sussex say they will not use your Personal Statement in the selection process – whereas others, like King’s College London , will look at it when considering applicants to shortlist for interview.

Make Sure You Stand Out

Get The Best Personal Statement Advice

Why Do I Need to Know This?

It’s important that you know how your target Medical Schools will use your Personal Statement, so you can decide how much effort to put into it.

For example, if you’re applying to universities that won’t use the Personal Statement for shortlisting candidates at all, you may be wiser to dedicate more time to preparing for the UCAT or BMAT . Likewise, if you’re applying to universities that place a greater emphasis on your Personal Statement for Medicine, you’ll need to really scrutinise how you structure and how you write your Personal Statement to boost your chances.

How Every Med School Uses Personal Statements

This table sums up what Medical Schools are currently saying about how they will use your Personal Statement. For more detail, and for the most up-to-date information, make sure you check their websites directly.

Once you understand how your Personal Statement for Medicine will be used, it’s time to start planning it to ensure your application is as strong as possible.

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Modern languages & art history personal statement example.

I have always been interested in the world's culture: its history and art.

Philosophy and languages proved themselves a perfect tool to describe and explain various conceptions of human mind, so that one could understand the specific meaning and value of each of them.

Although reading books such as “Arts in Civilization” (Jack A. Hobbs and Robert L. Duncan), “World's history” (“Avanta+”, Moscow, 1996), “History of Antique Literature”( I. M. Tronskij, St. Petersburg, 1946) etc. partly satisfied my interest, knowledge lacked links connecting matters and consequences of historical and cultural ages, events, people.

In order to gain an academic education I decided to enter the university, which can provide me with systematic and clear explanation of what is our past and why we understand it today in the way we do.

The intellectual curiosity always benefits those working in a scientific field. No doubt it helped me a lot to complete my secondary education with best possible results as well as gave me an advantage in many leisure pursuits.

During my last year at school I was involved in volunteering work as an editor in a local Youth Magazine, where some of my poems were published. As well as that I took part in a project called “Youth against violence” followed by international trainings on how to prevent violence in modern society.

Moreover, I participated in one of the most challenging programs of my life - the competition of the schoolchildren of Lithuania in Linguistics of the Russian Language and Russian Literature.

It included a written test, an analysis of a literary text and an oral presentation. As a winner I went to Moscow Olympiad of the Russian Language. The diploma I brought from there was given to me “For Extraordinary Thinking”; I must confess I am very proud of this award.

After finishing school I listened to the course of Introduction to Literature, Russian Folklore, Lexis, Morphology and the English Language at Vilnius Pedagogical University for about half a year.

Then I went abroad to explore the historical and cultural heritage of Europe and England. Shortly after my arrival in England I enrolled for the English Language Course in a private language school, but soon I realized my background knowledge satisfied all the language requirements for life and education in England.

As well as all mentioned above I participated widely in different programs for Gifted and Talented schoolchildren in Mathematics, Physics and History.

Logic hand by hand with patience and passion for study guide me in any beginnings of mine, which builds good basis for education and my future career, which I am planning to start in a scientific research sphere.

Profile info

This personal statement was written by muspri.i for application in 2007.

muspri.i's Comments

well, it is not THE PERFECT statement, of course. hopefully, it will help you to write your own personal statement. good luck!

This personal statement is unrated

Related Personal Statements

Tue, 23/07/2013 - 16:59

I really enjoy the blog post. Really Great.

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Personal statement advice: art and design

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What art and design tutors are looking for

The underlying message is that tutors want to know about you, your practice, your inspirations, and your aspirations, and for your personal statement to act as written accompaniment to your portfolio and performance at interview.

How to make your art and design statement stand out

Admissions tutors prefer to read personal statements that don't stick to a predictable formula – here are a few tactics to ensure yours packs a punch.

• Focus on the course: Martin Conreen, design admissions tutor at Goldsmiths, University of London, urges applicants for design courses 'not to over mention art' but to stay focused on design. He also feels some applicants waste too much space on non-relevant factors like their sporting achievements.
• Your influences: Martin adds he wants to hear who your influences are, why they inspire you, and 'how their work has resonance with your own, or with your own ideas'.
• Examples of what inspires you: David Baldry, fine art course leader at University Campus Suffolk, echoes this: 'Tell us what inspires you. We want to know what contemporary art interests you, so talk about key artists or an exhibition that made an impression on you. We want to know how you respond to the world creatively, so talk about your experiences or projects you’ve developed independently. Also, edit it so it sounds punchy'.
• Demonstrate your artistic ambitions: Alison Jones, fine art admissions tutor at Goldsmiths, is looking for 'interesting individuals who have a passion for art and a commitment to developing themselves as artists. Therefore, your personal statement should demonstrate an understanding of your own work, focusing on what is unique about your practice'.
• Be original: starting your statement with a well-known quote – such as 'fashion is not something that exists in dresses only' – is inadvisable. 189 applicants quoted that exact Coco Chanel snippet last year, so it really won't make you stand out from the crowd.

It's all summed up nicely by Arts University Bournemouth whose advice is:

'Be focused on the field you're applying for (no scattergun approach), name artists or designers you admire, think contemporary, reflect on exhibitions or galleries or events you've visited, and don't think "I'll tell them at the interview" – put it in the statement!'

Find out more about studying art and design, including entry requirements, why you should study it, and possible careers it could lead on to.  

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MBBS in Russia: Admission 2024-2025, Fees, Top Colleges, Placements & Salaries

Kriti Anand

| Updated On - Jul 10, 2024

MBBS in Russia Highlights

• Intake Seasons: Most Russian medical universities offer admissions in two intakes, September (main intake) and February (additional intake).
• Tuition Fees: The average tuition fee for MBBS in Russia is around 3,87,828 RUB (3.48 lakhs INR), making it an affordable study-abroad option for Indian students.
• Admission Requirements: The prerequisite courses include English, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology in senior secondary with a minimum of 50% in each subject.  NEET exam is mandatory .
• English Language Requirements: For MBBS in Russia, no proficiency tests (IELTS, TOEFL, etc) are required.

MBBS in Russia is a 6-year full-time program that combines academic training and practical clinical experience . Over 20,000 students from India go for an MBBS in Russia every year. The country has 54 Russian universities approved by the Medical Council of India for an MBBS degree. Students generally complete their degrees in Russia and come back to India to practice medicine. The licensing exam conducted by the MCI to practice in India is called FMGE, and it will be replaced with NExT in August 2025.

With average tuition fees of 3,87,828 RUB (3.48 lakhs INR), it is a comparatively affordable study-abroad option for Indian students, even cheaper than private medical colleges in India . Plus, the almost equal currency values make the cost of living in Russia similar to that in India.

It is taught in English at many colleges but doesn’t have any English Language Proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, etc) requirements . However, English is one of the prerequisite subjects for MBBS in Russia, apart from Physics, Chemistry and Biology. At colleges where the programs are conducted in Russian, students are taught the Russian language as an extra subject from the first year.

You need a  minimum of 50% in each subject to be eligible for admission to MCI-approved Russian medical schools. A NEET requirement score of 150 (out of 720) is considered enough for admission to MBBS in Russia. This makes you eligible to come back to India and practice medicine.

Top Medical Schools in Russia

As of 2019, the Medical Council of India made it mandatory for students wishing to pursue MBBS abroad, including in Russia, to clear the NEET exam. The rule applies to all Indian citizens intending to practice medicine in India after completing their MBBS degree in Russia. The top 10 colleges in Russia for the MBBS (General Medicine) program along with their application deadlines are tabulated below.

MCI-Approved Medical Colleges in Russia

The recognition status of medical universities by NMC, WHO, and WDOMS will help you ensure the college you’re looking at is legit. The Medical Council of India has approved a total of 54 medical colleges in Russia. The full list is provided below.

• Altai State Medical University
• Astrakhan State Medical University
• Bashkir State Medical University
• Belgorod State National Research University
• Chechen State University

… [View Full List]

• Chuvash State University, named after I.N. Ulyanov
• Crimean Federal University, named after V. I. Vernadsky
• Dagestan State Medical University
• Far Eastern Federal University
• Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University
• Irkutsk State Medical University
• Ivanovo State Medical Academy
• Izhevsk State Medical Academy
• Kabardino-Balkarian State University
• Kazan Federal (Volga) University
• Kazan State Medical University
• Kemerovo State Medical Academy
• Kuban State Medical University
• Kursk State Medical University
• Mari State University
• National Research Ogarev Mordovia State University
• National Research Nuclear University "MIFI"
• North Ossetian State Medical Academy
• North-Eastern Federal University, named after MK Ammosov
• Northern State Medical University
• Novosibirsk National Research State University
• Omsk State Medical University
• Orel State University
• Orenburg State Medical University
• Pacific State Medical University
• Penza State University
• Perm State Medical University, named after E. A. Vagner
• Privolzhsky Research Medical University
• Pskov State University
• Rostov State Medical University
• Russian National Research Medical University, named after N I Pirogov
• Russian Peoples’s Friendship University
• Ryazan State Medical University, named after I P Pavlov
• Saratov State Medical University
• Siberian State Medical University
• Smolensk State Medical University
• St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical Academy
• Stavropol State Medical University
• Tambov State University named after G.R. Derzhavin
• The First Moscow State Medical University named after Sechenov
• The First Saint-Petersburg State Medical University, named after Pavlov
• Tula State University
• Tver State Medical University
• Tyumen State Medical University
• Ulyanovsk State University
• Ural State Medical University
• Volgograd State Medical University
• Voronezh State Medical University, named after N N Burdenko
• Yaroslavl State Medical University

Why Study MBBS in Russia?

• Russian medical colleges are high ranked  providing  quality education with substantial practical training.
• Indian medical colleges have only 30% practical training and theory covers 70% of the course, whereas Russian medical colleges have 70% practical training (internship) and 30% theory.
• Many Russian medical universities offer MBBS programs taught entirely in English , removing the language barrier for international students.
• The student-faculty ratio in Russian medical colleges is 17:1, ensuring better individual attention.
• The value of 1 Russian ruble is roughly equivalent to 0.9 Indian rupees, indicating that the economies of India and Russia are almost on par. As a result, accommodation and other costs are comparable to those in India.

Check Out: Study in Russia

MBBS Admission in Russia

The majority of Russian medical universities offer admissions in two intakes:

• September Intake (Main Intake)
• February Intake (Additional Intake)

The application period for MBBS in Russia usually falls between May and August for the main September intake.

MBBS in Russia Eligibility for Indian Students

Admission to medical colleges in Russia is a straightforward process, with some colleges not having a minimum academic score. All you need as an Indian student is:

• Senior secondary education with 50% in English, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

NEET Requirement for MBBS in Russia

• NEET is not mandatory for all Indian students aiming to take admission to Russian universities or to practice in Russia.*
• Note: However, you will not be eligible to practice medicine in India without NEET. A score of 150 out of 720 in NEET can secure admission to MBBS in Russia.

Russian Student Visa

You can apply for a student visa at the Russian Embassy (Consular Department) or the Russian Consulate in India. The documents you’ll need are:

• A negative HIV test report, issued within the last three months
• 3.5 x 4.5 cm (1.18 x 1.57 inches) photographs with white background
• A passport with at least 18 months of validity
• Official and original invitation to enter Russia
• Application form
• Application fees (INR 8,360 for a single entry)
• Proof of funds

Cost of MBBS in Russia

The cost to study MBBS in Russia is almost equivalent to India in terms of tuition and other expenses. A detailed breakdown is given below.

MBBS in Russia Tuition Fees

Some top universities for MBBS in Russia, like Kazan State Medical University, Siberian State Medical University, etc, fall under 20-25 lakh INR. The high-end medical colleges, like the Northern State Medical University, cost up to 35 lakh INR in Russia. The tuition fees for some of the top universities for MBBS in Russia are:

Affordable MBBS Colleges in Russia for Indian Students

The Russian medical colleges that have the most Indian students include:

Cost of Living in Russia

The cost of living in Russia is not much higher than in India. The estimated monthly expenditure and living expenses for an international student is around 60,000 RUB (53,900 INR), with the majority of the cost being spent on accommodation.

A breakdown of living costs is outlined in the chart below.

MBBS in Russia vs MBBS at Private Colleges in India

If your NEET exam scores are above average, your options in the medical field include private colleges in India and medical schools abroad. Here’s why MBBS in Russia is the better alternative:

• The quality of education that Indian private universities provide at a cost of nearly INR 1 crore can be achieved under 20 lakh in Russian universities.
• Studying in Russia would mean increased international exposure , as you can attend and present at international conferences.
• The research programs in Russian institutes, like Privolzhsky Research Medical University and Kazan State Medical University, are world-class.
• You can also attend government universities in Russia with subsidized fee structures with your NEET score, like the Bashkir State Medical University.

In India, you will be studying in a college, while in Russia, you will attend a university. This means you’ll have access to more courses and programs, and will have better opportunities for research work.

MBBS in Russia Scholarships

The majority of the top medical schools in Russia do not provide scholarships for Indian students. Those who wish to study MBBS in Russia can receive financial aid from the Russian government and some other organizations.

• Russian Government Scholarships: Covers entire tuition fee, maintenance, and accommodation (dormitory) allowance
• Healthcare Leaders Scholarship: 107,572 RUB
• Open Doors Russian Scholarship: Full tuition fee coverage

Career Opportunities After MBBS in Russia

After getting an MBBS education in Russia, graduates can begin working as physicians, or they can continue their education in residency to receive a specialization that will enable them to work in a narrow and specialized area. The residency period is two years.

Some of the licensing exams you might need to take, depending on the country you practice in, include:

The course is popular among Indian students for many reasons, including affordability and MCI-approved medical colleges. Graduates pursuing jobs after MBBS in Russia can earn around 239,000 RUB (2.23 lakhs INR) by working in various areas of specialization such as Dermatologist, Obstetrician/Gynaecologist, Ophthalmologist, Optometrist, Paediatrician, etc. Some of the job roles and salary after MBBS in Russia are:

Many Russian medical universities are recognized by organizations like the Medical Council of India (MCI), enabling graduates to practice in India after clearing the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) post their MBBS in Russia. The average passing rate for Indian students on the FMGE exam is around 30-35%. MBBS in Russia emphasizes practical training and clinical rotations for a successful medical career. 

Ques: Can I do MBBS in Russia without NEET?

Ans : As of 2019, the Medical Council of India made it mandatory for students wishing to pursue MBBS abroad, including in Russia, to clear the NEET exam. This rule applies to all Indian citizens intending to practice medicine in India after completing their MBBS degree from Russia. However, not all Russian universities have NEET mandatory, so as long as you intend to practice in Russia, you’re good.

Ques: Is Russia a good option for MBBS?

Ans : Some of the top universities for MBBS in Russia, including Novosibirsk State University, Kazan State Medical University, and Siberian State Medical University are among the top universities in the world, according to the QS World Rankings. Additionally, the average tuition fees and cost of MBBS in Russia is significantly less than other countries like USA, UK, Singapore, etc, being around 3,87,828 RUB (4.45 lakhs INR).

Ques: Why is MBBS so cheap in Russia?

Ans : The affordability of pursuing an MBBS degree in Russia can be attributed to the following reasons:

• Government Subsidies: The Ministry of Health and Education in Russia has actively subsidized MBBS fees, reducing the financial burden on students.
• No Capitation Fees: Unlike some countries, Russian medical colleges do not require students to pay capitation fees at the time of admission or during the course, eliminating an additional financial burden.

Ques: How much NEET score is required for MBBS in Russia?

Ans : As of November 2023, there is no minimum NEET score required for MBBS in Russia. Generally, universities in Russia prefer applicants with NEET scores exceeding 130-140 for the general category and 100-110 for SC/ST/OBC categories.

Ques: Is Russian MBBS valid in India?

Ans : Yes, a Russian MBBS degree is valid in India. You can practice medicine in India with a Russian MBBS degree after you pass the National Exit Test (NExT) conducted by the National Medical Commission (NMC).

Ques: How much does MBBS cost in Russia?

Ans : The tuition fee for MBBS in Russia is around 290,000-3,213,000 RUB (2.7 lakhs-29 lakhs INR). The tuition fees for some of the top universities for MBBS in Russia is as follows:

Ques. What is the best option for PG after MBBS in Russia?

Ans . You can go for specialization and research in Russia after MBBS, or continue your further studies in India. Another great option is PG from a European country like Germany, where you have to take the FSP exam for medical specialization.

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