One thing we have as graduates is previous experience writing at least one successful personal statement! However, Medicine, and especially Graduate Entry Medicine, is extremely competitive and so understandably you are looking for some specific help.

In this blog post I share the 7 steps I went through to write my personal statement. If you’d like to read my successful personal statement, just click here!

First things first – make sure to write and save your personal statement in Microsoft Word or an equivalent programme. You’ll copy it across to the UCAS form only once it’s near 100% polished in step 7.

1. Plan

Once you have a clear structure in mind for your personal statement, the rest will feel easier. Now, you don’t need to structure it exactly like I did. But the below will give you an idea of what you could do – I wrote 6 paragraphs and used the following structure (each box represents a paragraph):

2. Brainstorm

If you want to write a killer personal statement, it all starts here. Invest a sizeable amount of time into this brainstorming stage.

Jot down some ideas about what you could mention in your PS. Use the following as prompts:

• Academic work or achievements that will demonstrate an enthusiasm for science and learning. Also, that you possess intellectual curiosity e.g. a dissertation, essay, group project
• Medicine-related books you’ve read that are thought provoking or inspiring e.g. This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
• Medicine-related talks you’ve attended or watched online that you have found thought provoking or inspiring e.g. TED Talks
• Moments during work experiences & volunteering that have shown you the qualities doctors need and the realities of working in healthcare. Recall the details of any moments that have particularly inspired you to pursue this career or helped you to realise you are a good fit for it. Look at your work experience / volunteering journal for inspiration, if you kept one.
• Extra-curricular activities or positions of responsibility that demonstrate you possess qualities doctors need (such as teamwork, empathy and time management) e.g. captain of a sports team, member of a sports team, being in an orchestra or choir, being on the committee of a society, leading a campaign, fundraising, part-time jobs, other hobbies and interests

Struggling to find work experience? Check out my blog post How to Get Medical Work Experience in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

3. First draft

Allow your very first draft to be messy, imperfect and (feel) downright rubbish. Even professional writers write rubbish first drafts so don’t worry about it. The important thing is to get the first draft DONE.

UCAS gives you a maximum of 4,000 characters including spaces or 47 lines. When you first write your PS, it’ll likely shoot way over this. But don’t fret. You’ll remedy this in steps 4-6.

You also want to make sure you’re writing your PS in the right style…

Writing style tips:

• Write in the first person (“I”).
• Clear, straightforward language.
• Avoid colloquial language.
• Concise phrasing; avoid super long sentences.
• Use active wording e.g. “I organised”, “I completed”.
• Give specific examples with some detail and say how they have impacted you e.g. instead of “I organised work experience at my local hospital and it was very insightful because I learnt that doctors must be patient and kind” say something more like “I organised work experience at my local hospital and sat in on the consultations of an ophthalmologist. I observed the doctor was patient and warm with all their patients despite the time pressures they were under and this impressed upon me the empathy and patience required to be a doctor.”

At this point you may want to go grab a cup of tea, watch a movie or just sleep on it. Well done on getting this far!

Now, to turn your rubbishy first draft into a golden personal statement the next 4 steps will be absolutely key.

4. Edit

“The writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.” ― Dr. Seuss

The ultimate goal with editing is to create a personal statement that is both concise and flows well when being read. Read back through your personal statement and rephrase sentences, delete sections that are unnecessary, add in bits you feel could add more to your statement and double check spelling and grammar (ensure it’s set to British English if you’re a UK applicant!)

Something I always do when editing any piece of writing is to READ IT OUT LOUD. I find I can miss subtle mistakes if I don’t do this plus it’s great for checking the flow of your writing.

Some say it’s helpful to print your statement before proofreading it also.

Remember, don’t just list what you’ve done. It’s crucial that you give specific examples, provide some detail and describe what you have learnt from your experiences & achievements.

5. Get feedback

Some websites encourage you to ask your friends and family to give you feedback on your personal statement. I don’t believe this is unhelpful. But I do believe it’s more helpful to ask those who have experience writing, or helping people to write, successful Medicine personal statements – there isn’t always an overlap.

If your old school has a track record of getting their pupils into Medicine, you could ask them for feedback. Some schools will be willing to help you even if you left quite a while ago!

You could also ask a member of staff at the university you are currently at or recently left who has experience helping students get into Medicine.

Perhaps you have some friends who are medical students or doctors – ask them too.

I asked a medical student who I had met coincidentally in my career before studying Medicine. Also, a member of university staff where I was doing my MSc at the time; they were super keen to get more students into Medicine from their department. This member of staff then put me in touch with a graduate who had recently got into Medicine from the same uni. This grad medical student kindly became my third pair of eyes!

Some of you may feel like there’s no one you can ask for quality feedback. Thankfully, there are people out there who are happy to critique your personal statement for FREE. Read my blog post Master List of FREE Medicine Personal Statement Reviewers.

6. Re-edit

This stage isn’t easy and may involve a lot of head scratching. You may go through several further drafts and that’s okay. You could even start all over again and write a whole new PS.

Either way, your goal is to refine your personal statement and produce its final form.

Consider the feedback given to you by the people you asked to review your PS. If you got feedback from multiple people, prioritise the feedback from those who have success writing, or helping people to write, successful Medicine personal statements.

You don’t have to create the best personal statement that ever existed. But to help ensure success, give it a good go!

Check out my Ultimate Medicine Personal Statement Checklist (free download) to help you ensure you’ve done all you can to make your PS excellent.

7. Finalise (check formatting, spelling & grammar)

Is your PS 4,000 characters or 47 lines or less?

Does your PS make sense and flow well for a reader despite the inevitable deletions and multiple rephrasings you’ve done during editing?

Have you done steps 1-6 of this blog post?

You may be ready to submit!

Time to run a final spelling and grammar check using Microsoft Word or equivalent. The UCAS form doesn’t allow you to do this so make sure to do it before copying it into UCAS.

Alrighty. Copy and paste it into the UCAS form. I personally found I had to make further edits to make it work in UCAS. Maybe you’ll be luckier. Either way, once you’re satisfied, submit it to UCAS and you’re done!

Further reading you may find helpful:

• Personal Statements ebook by We Are Medics
• Write the Perfect Personal Statement published by ISC Medical

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Have some feedback on this article? Did I make an error? Please contact me via the contact page or leave a comment below.

You might also be interested in my article 6 Books to Read Before Your Medical School Interview.

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The post 7 Steps to a Successful Personal Statement for Graduate Entry Medicine appeared first on Graduate Medicine Success.

I received invites to interview at St George’s, University of London, Swansea University Medical School and University of Nottingham Medical School.

Check out my blog post 7 Steps to a Successful Personal Statement for Graduate Entry Medicine for further guidance and my Ultimate Medicine Personal Statement Checklist (free download).

One last thing: DO NOT COPY ANY PART OF MY OR ANYONE ELSE’S PERSONAL STATEMENT. Nowadays, clever software will identify any similarities and you will be caught out. Also, it’s just not ethical and the best way to make your personal statement stand out is to make it unique to you anyway!

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From a young age I have had a passion and aptitude for medical science. I acquired a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Sciences and I am now completing a Master’s in biomedical engineering. Subsequent to volunteering in multiple healthcare environments and shadowing multiple doctors I am now certain that medicine as a career is the correct choice for me.

I highly value the privilege of being able to support someone in their time of need. Over the past several years I have arranged four medical work experience programmes: shadowing radiologists, a general practitioner and two medical teams for elite rugby players. When I had the opportunity to sit in on the consultations of a general practitioner I observed that despite the time pressure he was under he was patient and genuinely warm towards all his patients. This touched me and impressed upon me the more empathetic aspects of being a doctor. Having a career to which empathy is central greatly appeals to me. Since June 2015 I have volunteered at a support helpline and I have further grasped that having even several minutes to talk to a non-judgemental and impartial listener can make a huge difference to someone’s well-being. I recently volunteered weekly at a hospital facilitating fun activities for patients on wards. Through building relationships with patients I have seen first-hand how lonely and restless patients can become and how chatting with someone familiar can improve their day.  To be able to build positive relationships with others daily also draws me to the medical profession.

I am compelled to pursue a vocation in which lifelong learning of medical science and use of scientific methods are key. For example, in the third year of my Bachelor’s degree I wrote a dissertation that explored the possible mechanisms that influence musculoskeletal performance as a result of a genetic polymorphism. Despite the amount of data I analysed it was not possible to deduce the exact biomechanisms at work as a result of this single genetic element. It showed me how much there is still to learn about the human body. I am now studying biomedical engineering for a Master’s in order to learn more about the body as well as the engineering of cutting-edge medical technology.

Through reading books in my spare time I have developed a keen interest in medical ethics. For instance, I found The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot a very thought-provoking book in its treatment of the ethics of medical research and the duties doctors have towards their patients. The upsetting experience of Henrietta Lacks’ family as they tried to understand what happened to her cells following her death echoed to me the importance of clear and honest communication with patients. The latter is an art I am excited to develop further as a physician.

As a doctor I realise that it will be essential to be an excellent leader and team player.  Whilst studying my bachelor’s degree I was elected captain of the women’s rugby club and was awarded Captain of the Year and Sports Personality of the Year by my students’ union for outstanding organisation and leadership. I learnt that teamwork is paramount for maximal success, for example working collaboratively within the rugby club’s committee to achieve a national team of the year award. I found undertaking my degree, being captain of a sports team and volunteering in other roles all in my second year challenging at times however I have gained huge confidence in my ability to cope under stress and to balance my academic and extracurricular duties.

While the life of a doctor will be a challenging one, I feel I have what it takes to be a successful doctor. I have an enthusiasm for science as well as other peoples’ well-being. My work experience with doctors has shown me the realities of such a career. I am a hard worker with an open and enquiring mind and medicine is the most stimulating career I could hope for as well as being one for which I feel ideally suited.

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The post Successful Graduate Entry Medicine Personal Statement Example (St George’s, Swansea, Nottingham) appeared first on Graduate Medicine Success.

However, not everyone has access to such people. If you’re in this boat, my advice is to approach the people below (including me) who are happy to help you with your personal statement for FREE.

You may also find my blog post 7 Steps to a Successful Personal Statement for Graduate Entry Medicine helpful, as well as my Ultimate Medicine Personal Statement Checklist (free download).

Email Me

I’m more than happy to provide feedback on your personal statement. I’ve written 3 that have been successful (BSc, MSc and the one that got me into Graduate Entry Medicine).

Please note I only accept requests from graduates.

I offer free personal statement reviews for 3 people per year. In September 2024 the window will open to put your name in for a free review. To find out when the window opens, please sign up to my mailing list.

Alternatively, I offer reviews at £30 per review. Upload your personal statement to Google Docs and then send me a link (click here to send an email).

Remarxs

Remarxs has several personal statement reviewers willing to help you for free. To learn more visit their website.

The Depressed Med Student

The medical student behind the popular Twitter account DepressedMedStudent (@usycool1) is happy to provide free feedback too. Check out their website for details.

The Student Medic

Another kind bunch willing to feedback on personal statements for free. Visit their website for details.

Melanin Medics

Offer a free personal statement review service for prospective African-Carribean applicants. More info on their website here.

Medics Inspires

Is another blogger willing to review personal statements for free. Submit your personal statement here.

Fast Bleep Medics

Manchester medical students willing to review your personal statement for free. Check out their instagram post offering free reviews or send them an email with your personal statement.

Sail Into Medicine

2 medical students providing mentoring. Check out their site.

PathwayToMed

Mentors providing PS checks. See their Instagram account for more info.

Influencers on social media

It’s possible to find people with offers to study medicine, current medical students and doctors on social media offering to review personal statements for free also. My only word of caution is to make sure they have written a successful personal statement themselves i.e. if they haven’t gone to medical school yet make sure they have an offer or have at least got invites to interviews. This way you can be confident you’re getting feedback from someone who (probably) knows what they’re talking about!

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Hope that was helpful! Sign up to my mailing list to get more tips in your email inbox.

Have some feedback on this article? Did I make an error? Please contact me via the contact page or leave a comment below.

You might also be interested in my article How to Get FREE Medical Work Experience during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

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The post FREE Medicine Personal Statement Reviewers Master List appeared first on Graduate Medicine Success.