The Medicine Personal Statement Portal
To bring your personal statement to a close, you need to demonstrate your attributes. Many students will therefore treat the conclusion as a chance to bring together some previous parts of the statement, and highlight core attributes. You should show an awareness of the demands of Medicine and the degree, and show that you’re prepared, and will be a good fit for the university, and the profession in turn.
There are two ways of approaching this. One is to write a longer paragraph that serves as a true conclusion, and to focus on trying to fit extra content into it. You’d need to think about the wider attributes that you want to emphasise. For example, you might talk about resilience, empathy, and communication skills, linking these back to specifics that you’ve referenced, or your own achievements.
However, typically students find it easier to avoid doing this, and instead try a different approach. They treat the ‘extracurricular’ section and the ‘conclusion’ as a two part section, with the conclusion flowing naturally from the extracurricular section, and core attributes being explored as part of the extracurricular part.Â
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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.
This example provides a good overview of the student’s extracurricular achievements; we see the following attributes explored: resilience, team working, leadership, and time-management. They then touch on the attributes by explaining that it is both their ‘passion for medicine’ and their ‘character’ that will allow them to succeed.
My involvement in the Backpack Project for children in Malawi, exercised my leadership skills and was highly gratifying. As a Sixth form prefect, planning and conducting projects in a team has honed organisation skills. Achieving Grade 8 and subsequently teaching LAMDA was vital in developing my confidence and improvisation skills. Drama is a continued passion of mine that helps me relax, important in a high stress career.
My personal experiences have played a large part in making me more empathetic, resilient and curious. I believe I have the attributes to become a doctor who sees the challenges of medicine as motivation to succeed.
Once again, this student chooses to work through their extracurriculars and draw out key attributes: we find mention of leadership skills, organisational skills, and confident communication, as well as the ability to combat stress. They then conclude that their ‘personal experiences’ have allowed them to be ‘empathetic, resilient and curious’ and that these attributes will allow them to be a motivated doctor. They make mention of the challenges of Medicine, which is sensible, and show that they are ready for them.
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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.
This student chooses to introduce a section on their extracurriculars by explaining that they are ‘aware of how challenging… a medical course can be.’ This is then evidenced by extracurriculars which require determination (running for their region). They then touch on leadership, as well as empathy, through explaining their responsibilities as a prefect. Their conclusion once again emphasises that Medicine is a challenge – but one that they are ready for.
You may notice that all three of these statements are very similar! There’s no particular mystery here; admissions tutors are looking for students who are aware of the realities of Medicine, have prepared well, and can show a core set of attributes, centred around resilience (their staying power in other words) and empathy.
