Personal Statement Example – Medicine

This is an example personal statement for Medicine. The student received two offers. A conditional medicine offer, and a conditional offer for a medicine-related subject.

Access to this personal statement is based on our academic integrity policy – remember, don’t copy this for your UCAS application as they use anti-plagiarism software. The NSEMM work with schools, colleges and universities to prevent plagiarism.

Personal Statement

I decided I wanted to go into Medicine in 2016. Specifically, [removed for anonymity]. As a person with autism, I am good at remembering dates, information, and facts. Medicine is a special interest for me: when I was young, I read science encyclopaedias for fun. Now, moving towards adulthood, I read the BNF and BMJ, studying new and established pharmaceutical innovations. Since childhood, I have always believed in acceptance. Acceptance of the truth, of people and decisions. I lived with my grandmother for many years, who taught me “respect is something that should be given and received by all”. I have held that view compelling others to do the same, as a Prefect and Master Air Cadet.

As an air cadet, motivation, leadership, and teamwork are second nature, working with others for years with the [removed for anonymity]. As a musician for 13 years, performing in ensembles at the [removed for anonymity] has also helped me practice these skills. However, I am also independent, self-teaching on numerous occasions to achieve goals like Chemistry in the first year of A-Levels and GCSE Citizenship. In emergency paediatrics, the skill of trying to understand what a child is trying to say when they are not able to describe what is wrong is of the utmost importance. Although it may seem different, there are parallels with working in technical support. Programming and working with computers since age 7, when people present with an issue with their computer, having to diagnose what is wrong without clear instruction means needing to have an inside-out systematic approach to diagnostics. I have been able to develop that skill for several years.

Since the beginning of lockdown, volunteering with a local charity to help resolve disputes refined my teamwork skills. As part of a multidisciplinary team in [removed for anonymity], I work with local schools, [removed for anonymity], and the NHS. I also designed and developed a system to improve the efficiency of referral management. Caring for and supporting others is important to me, like in the [removed for anonymity], where I helped at different nursing homes, working with, and playing the piano for residents. Speaking to the residents helped me learn from them and speaking to the nurses inspired me; their skills in holistic treatment and their manner of care propelled me further into my want to pursue a career in emergency paediatrics. For 9 years, I have been teaching coding with [removed for anonymity] and [removed for anonymity], working with children and young people. A friend and I also started a social enterprise, Tutor Eagle, making resources for students filling the knowledge gaps left by school closure. This developed my experience breaking down concepts to make them understandable; paramount both in medical school and as a doctor when communicating with colleagues, patients, and family.

But, on [removed for anonymity], as I got home from school, my mother explained how [removed for anonymity] had been diagnosed with [cancer]. A year later, it had metastasised rapidly: we needed to [removed for anonymity], not unavailable from the NHS as it was unaffordable. On [removed for anonymity], she was gone. [removed for anonymity] passed away, again, of cancer, [removed for anonymity]. After this, my decision was cemented – I decided that I want a lifestyle where I can be there for a child when they are at their worst point and be the one to help guide them and their families through a frightening and potentially painful experience with patience and compassion. I want to go into medicine not because it is a familial rite of passage nor because I want to be a hero. I want to do it to be a doctor who understands a patient, who can listen and work with them, think of them as a person, and treat them holistically.