5 Great Personal Statement Examples That Will Inspire You

Medicine personal statement examples will allow you to better focus and prepare your own work. Here, we present five students who were successful in applying to top UK Universities. In total, these students received more than 20 offers between them, including Oxford, Cambridge, King’s College, UCL, Imperial, Edinburgh, and Bristol.

Medicine Personal Statement Example 1

My ambition to be a doctor stems from my longing to help people at their most vulnerable when they seek not only answers but also understanding and compassion. This aspiration is strengthened by my interest in unraveling cellular biology and understanding how it can be applied in a clinical context.

I am intrigued by the complexity of the human genome and the implications of the current work on it, resulting in me writing an essay on CRISPR-cas9 for the DNA Day Competition where I focused on its future benefits, such as in immunotherapy, and potential concerns. This also led me to dedicate my EPQ question to answer “To what extent is our personality determined by our genes?” where I focused on the dopamine receptor D4 gene among others and their influence on personality traits.

I remain fascinated by the way our genes define most aspects of our lives. Genetics also drew me to cancer, particularly treatment, inspiring me to take a MOOC concerning different cancer drugs and ending with an independent research task on the future of cancer diagnostics. I focused on nanotechnology; its implications were so surprising that I presented the idea to my school’s Medical Society. Reading “The Emperor of all Maladies” alerted me to the importance of empirical research and a multidisciplinary approach in the continuous struggle against cancer.

I received great insight into the primary, secondary and tertiary structure of the NHS through my three work experiences. My GP placement signified to me the importance of their work and the challenges they face relating to increased patient numbers and demands. It was an opportunity to discuss potential solutions and their social and ethical implications, a factor which encouraged me to read “Medical Ethics: A Very Short Introduction.” Teamwork was a vital theme in my surgery placement, where I witnessed MDT meetings on a departmental, interdepartmental and inter-hospital level.

The use of the WHO safety checklist allowed me to reflect on the measures taken by hospitals to minimise errors, a theme I am aware of from reading “The Checklist Manifesto.” In my oncology placement, I saw doctors, with great professionalism and compassion, wade into patients’ emotional melee. The ability to infer the root of patient worry and skilfully tackle it was compelling and I hope to emulate such people-centred care.

Forming an empathetic relationship with residents at my local care home was a humbling experience. It encouraged me to further serve my local community through going to soup kitchens on Tuesdays and connecting with the homeless, giving me an opportunity to understand life from the point of view of others. Inspired by this, a group of friends and I planned a special Christmas event where we brought presents and sang carols to children across London hospitals; it was motivational to see their positivity at a time when they were poorly.

On a life-changing humanitarian trip to Kenya I taught local children English and comforted the ill and lonely, thus enabling me to see how fortunate I am and the duty I have to aid others. I was awarded the Jack Petchey award in recognition of my commitment to school life such as being House Captain. This meant I attended numerous meetings with teachers, led student conferences and gave house assemblies to the lower years, all requiring thorough organisation and teamwork.

Outside of school, I am an avid chess player and my interests have led me to win first place in Research and Chess competitions within the national Coptic Festival for three years running. Being a member of my church’s football team, I attend weekly training sessions which is a great way to relieve stress. Being a successful doctor is not only about having great grades or many achievements. It is about having a zeal for people and science that endures coffee-driven nights, stress and fatigue. My self-evaluative, caring nature, evidenced by my work-experience and volunteering, demonstrates this.

Medicine Personal Statement Example 2

Conversations with doctors and medical students have brought me to the same conclusion: medicine is not simple. Placements in tertiary and secondary care settings have exposed me to medicine’s long hours, intellectual challenges and emotionally draining environment. Yet every placement showed how the care and diligence of doctors had a genuine impact on patients’ lives. The chance to replicate this, combined with unparalleled opportunities to teach, undertake clinical work and perform scientific research, is what draws me to study medicine.

During a placement at GOSH, observing discussions about cochlear implants between doctors, patients and the MDT taught me about the importance of involving patients in their own care and the necessity of communicating with a person on their level of understanding. To develop these skills, I have volunteered as a primary school teaching assistant, worked part-time as a tutor, and taught weekly technology classes for elderly people.

Observing procedures such as laparoscopic appendectomies and breast implant replacement allowed me to contrast the advancements in medicine, particularly surgery, with previous, often disfiguring procedures such as Halstead mastectomies, which I encountered when reading Mukherjee’s “The Emperor of All Maladies”. After also attending lectures at Oxford on the effect on fertility preservation during cancer treatments, I undertook a research project into leukaemia to learn about mechanistic pathways used by antileukemic drugs. My placement also introduced me to aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity, about which I decided to attend further learning on.

Lectures by Trembath and Scott on rare genetic diseases drew my interest to the role of genetics in medical treatments. This interest developed during my Nuffield Research Placement, which culminated in a research-style report on the effects of epigenetics on mitotic chromosome structure and an article on imaging metaphase chromosomes and telomere staining, which will be published in the Young Scientists Journal. Also, I gained an insight into the application of problem-solving skills in research when aiding the design of the verification stage.

Volunteering weekly at a care home and at a disabled children’s playground has shown me the realities of ageing and the infirmity of the vulnerable. Supervising the children or talking to residents allows me to support their emotional wellbeing, thus contributing to the delivery of holistic care, as highlighted in Edwards’s “In Stitches”. This also introduced me to the need for constant self-evaluation, a message emphasised in Gwande’s Reith lectures and a key focus in my Kelvin Science Competition essay on how a doctor can know they are doing their job well. I also learnt about the importance of teamwork and leadership in the delivery of high-quality care. I have tried to develop these skills through creating and organising my school’s Science Fair and charity fundraising campaigns with a focus on leading teams in a collaborative environment to achieve the best results for those we catered for.

Furthermore, leading the peer tutoring scheme and coming 3rd in an Apprentice-style TV show, 3G Boss, as well as playing on the school and club cricket teams for the past 5 years have improved my listening and communication. As a student of a performing arts school for 12 years, I have performed on stage and TV in over 50 shows and organised successful cultural, academic and sporting events by leading and working as part of event committees.

The prospect of lifelong learning, the opportunity to improve the quality of life of many on a daily basis and my ambition to utilise my knowledge to serve others has drawn me to a challenge I relish. I have tried to understand the difficulties I will face but with the invaluable learning opportunities I have had, my academic abilities and persistent nature, I see no other field to enter but Medicine.

Medicine Personal Statement Example 3

My work with undergraduate students over a year developing an abdominal adhesions sensor kindled my interest in medicine. While shadowing a doctor in a postnatal ward, I witnessed the satisfaction she derived from using her clinical skills to benefit infants. She communicated complex neonatal issues, such as meconium aspiration and Moro reflexes to parents effectively. It was vital to convey complex information to parents from a variety of backgrounds.

I developed this ability by collaborating with a diverse group of people on various women’s advocacy campaigns while interning at UN Women. I learned to persuade, cooperate and problem-solve. Developing the sensor also taught me to work with students from a diverse range of subjects, just as NHS doctors must work with a wide variety of professions in a multidisciplinary setting.

I volunteered to talk to HIV patients weekly this past year. Some refused HAART or continued to use unclean hypodermic needles for recreational purposes. Initially, I struggled to comprehend this but then grew to empathise with them and appreciate the complex reasons why people do not comply with treatment or abstain from unhealthy practices.

My regular volunteer work at a school for disabled children and at an elderly care home has helped me develop compassion and kindness. One patient with severe dementia was constantly distressed, so I patiently held her hand and consoled her for hours at a time. As Pemberton noted in ‘Trust Me, I’m a (Junior) Doctor’, “What mattered to [patients] more than the medicines and the operations and the tests, was that someone was by [their] side.”

The reality that learning medicine does not end with a medical degree were laid before me when I took part in the 2017 SmileAsia trip to Cambodia where I prepared patients for surgery and calmed them before sedation. I also volunteered to translate between Chinese and UK doctors treating children with cleft palate. The desire of the doctors to learn each other’s surgical techniques emphasised the global and ever-changing nature of medicine.

I took the initiative to learn the necessary terminology in Mandarin to facilitate this. Through preparing for the Chemistry and Biology Olympiad, I was able to expand my knowledge of biochemistry and human biology and develop resilience through continuous, deliberate practice. I demonstrated initiative by teaching myself extension material and the topics taught in the Upper Sixth. The prospect of continuously extending my knowledge throughout my career greatly excites me.

My passion for learning and research led me to write two essays on poisonous substances and cellular waste disposal respectively, in addition to my IB coursework. Throughout this experience, I learned to consolidate conflicting sources, think critically and manage time. I learned to build on the constructive criticism my supervisor gave me. Considering iatrogenic errors are the third leading cause of death in the US, my willingness to acknowledge and correct my weaknesses would improve my quality of care. I also enjoyed learning more about physiology and pathophysiology.

Starting taekwondo at 14 taught me resilience, which is important in the fast-paced working environment of the NHS. These qualities were developed further in my Gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition that taught me to persevere despite my asthma. I could not carry much but I found my own way to contribute by administering first aid and teaching my teammates about Lyme’s disease.

Similarly, by organising various Model UN conferences, I have learned to work with a wide variety of individuals and lead councils through various topics. Through working in groups for debate as well as in the RCS Chemistry Analysts Competition, I was able to lead and collaborate within tight time constraints. This skill would help me in the fast-paced environment of an NHS hospital.

I believe my passion for medicine and my character will propel me through my medical career.

Medicine Personal Statement Example 4

As a child with severe allergies, I was frequently in and out of Hereford Hospital for blood tests. The atmosphere that frightened the other children, the frenetic bustle of the doctors, served only to inspire a curiosity in me about what they did, what went on in the rest of that building. I returned there recently, countless years later, on work experience – and discovered that my curiosity had intensified over the years into a passion.
Having gained an academic scholarship to secondary school, I take a keen interest in my academic studies and have been awarded multiple school prizes.

My main focus has always been the sciences – however, I firmly believe that a good doctor ought to be a capable communicator, rather than just being a scientist. As such I continue to study and enjoy French. Looking at medicine from viewpoints outside of the sciences – learning, for example, of Hippocrates in Greek – has enabled me to see just how far medicine has come, and just how much more useful the modern day doctor is, in an age where people are living longer every year.

I have completed medical work placements at Hereford Hospital and in General Practice and seen everything from a hip replacement to an Ex-Paratrooper worrying about having slightly imperfect skin – a lesson that for the patient, seemingly minor problems can be serious. I’ve had experience of Radiology, Orthopaedics, Bronchology, and A&E, and found myself most drawn to Orthopaedics for its need for teamwork, and the speed, efficiency and efficacy with which patients could be treated.

Equally, going on ward rounds with junior doctors laid bare the difficulties encountered in medicine – aged patients with dementia who were bewildered and angry, young patients who were unwilling to accept that they had to be in hospital – and showed me just how strenuous life can be starting out in medicine. Throughout my work experience, the sense of cohesion both among and between the hospital teams astounded me. The close working relationships I expected between Consultants and their Registrars continued down to the Junior Doctors in their team, and across to nurses and indeed administrative staff.

Attending a communication skills workshop based around delivering bad news with medical students at Cardiff University, I learnt just how important the ability to communicate sympathy to patients or their relatives is, but also that a doctor must be careful to empathise rather than sympathise in order to provide the best care for a patient. This lesson was reiterated by doctors I spoke to on work experience, who stressed the importance of empathy when talking to patients in order that they felt their concerns were understood.

As a volunteer I spent a week at a Vitalise centre last summer, helping disabled guests to have an enjoyable holiday. Working sixteen hour days, often up until after midnight helping guests get to bed was incredibly hard work, but more than worth it for the knowledge that I was truly helping people, for the respect I acquired for the guests, and indeed for the experience and confidence I myself gained. I realise that medicine is not always about curing – rather, it is often about improving quality of life for people with no hope of a cure. I have also volunteered at my local British Heart Foundation shop, seeing at first hand the importance of charity to research, and enjoying being part of a team of dedicated volunteers, as well as interacting with customers.

I am acutely aware of how challenging and arduous a medical course can be and believe my interests prove my determination and staying power. My principal sport is cross country, for which I have represented my school and region in both individual and team events. I am currently in the process of completing my D.O.E. Gold award. As a long-term member of the CCF, in which I hold the rank of Sergeant, I have proven my ability to lead others in challenging situations. I am a Prefect at school, where I have learnt how and when to exercise authority, but also to listen to and empathise with others.

I am excited to bring all that I have learnt to the challenge that is Medicine.

Medicine Personal Statement Example 5

The landscape of medicine is changing with newly identified challenges and tools to face them. It is this application of innovative science to people, that inspires me to study medicine. People expect a better quality of life and level of care and what further motivates me is the ability to deliver this in supporting a variety of individuals and families, especially those I have seen in vulnerable circumstances.

My experience at a GP surgery highlighted the importance of primary care and its role within the NHS. Observing a consultation with the duty doctor, I noticed how he addressed both the physical and emotional needs of a patient who had experienced an ectopic pregnancy. He considered both the disease, i.e. from a biomedical perspective, and the illness (the patient’s perspective). My work experience at [insert name] Hospital also exposed me to the breadth of career paths in medicine, as I saw doctors working in different settings such as MAU, surgery, and clinic, and how each of these rely on effective team work.

Moreover, watching a mandibulectomy and free-flap reconstruction gave me an insight into a specific example of the dexterity required in surgery and encouraged me to gain a greater understanding of the physical and ethical challenges involved in the surgical speciality by reading ‘Do No Harm’ by Henry Marsh. In addition, shadowing a junior doctor on the MAU gave me a greater appreciation of the skills required to reassure patients, such as kneeling to speak to them and adopting a supportive tone.

In parallel to seeing these elements in a clinical environment, I have been developing the attributes required for work in a caring setting. Weekly visits to [insert name] care home have increased my skill in communicating in a professional context, comforting the residents when they felt confused or agitated, whilst appreciating the required detachment when working in palliative care. I am also a youth worker at [insert name], a charity for autistic young people. Here, I have learned to be empathetic and flexible to support the needs of different individuals within the group. Additionally, weekly volunteering with Beavers has allowed me to grow in confidence by engaging with enthusiastic younger children.

Throughout my time in school I have been able to establish a good work-life balance, pursuing my love of music, by working towards grade 8 clarinet, singing and being part of choirs and bands. My school leadership roles as a house and medic captain have ensured I manage time and delegate where necessary. In addition, working towards Gold Level D of E has allowed me to play a leading role in a team, problem solving and accepting responsibility for my decisions. Years of dance classes have shown me the rewards that come from dedication especially when I achieved my student teacher certification after working every Saturday with younger students.

My four-week, self-fundraised World Challenge expedition to Malawi provided me with a more open-minded perspective about people in far less fortunate circumstances. During the trip I applied my communication skills when teaching children in a primary school despite the language barrier. When climbing Mt. Mulanje my strength and resilience was tested. I adapted quickly and recognized the need to accept physical and emotional support to be successful. Competing in the Chemistry Analyst Competition, in addition to being a STEM tutor, shows my enthusiasm for science beyond my A levels.

In summary, these experiences have shown me that I have the qualities to be a successful doctor applying tenacity, patience and the ability to work under pressure. Working with children, the elderly and the disadvantaged has taught me that compassion is essential in the successful care of people and has cemented my desire to study medicine.

Moreover, I appreciate that University graduation will not be the end of a medical and scientific education but only the beginning of my life in learning and caring.