This is always a crucial element of any personal statement, regardless of whether candidates are applying for undergraduate or graduate Medicine. However, it is particularly important in a personal statement for graduate Medicine.
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Many graduate applicants apply for medicine at a late stage. Some may apply straight after their undergraduate degree, whilst some may apply after years of working in a different industry. Detailing your motivation may be simpler if you have just completed a bioscience-related undergraduate degree but applying after completing a non-related degree or working in a non-related industry may provide a unique and interesting viewpoint for your reasons for studying at a graduate level. For this reason, many graduate programmes accept candidates from a range of backgrounds, although it is always worth checking this first to ensure no applications are wasted!
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In addition, motivation may be displayed by detailing examples of your extensive work experience, what you may have learned from these encounters, and how they have influenced your motivation going forward to study graduate Medicine.
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Due to the increased competition for graduate places compared to undergraduate places, candidates’ motivations for studying Medicine will be scrutinised even more extensively. Selectors must be certain that candidates are willing to undertake the career-long commitment of continuous skill development and hard work. Â