Dietetics degree personal statement example (1a)

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

I am applying for this course because I am very interested in becoming a dietitian. I have been interested in this career for a number of years. I enjoy chemistry and food-related subjects and I am interested in working for the health service. As well as this, I am intrigued about how the body works and the influence nutrition has on this. My A-level in biology covers briefly the variations in dietary requirements as the life cycle takes place. I have enjoyed this subject and would like to study it in more depth. I have completed one week shadowing dietitians at *******. I enjoyed every minute of it and I particularly enjoyed the dietitians' clinics. The clinics allowed the dietitian to have one-to-one contact with the patient. This seems the most effective way to change a patient's behaviour. The majority of patients I came into contact with had some form of diabetes, but I also saw anorexia and obesity. The skills used during these appointments were fascinating. I often saw a cycle of a dietitian who managed to persuade patients who were not thinking about change to modify some parts of their diets. These skills are essential in this career and are preliminarily taught through the degree and improved in practice. This week was also helpful as it helped me confirm my career choice and therefore my university options.

My main career aim upon successful completion of the course is to practise as a dietitian in the UK, for the NHS. I then hope to achieve senior status.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

My A-level subjects are very relevant to this course. The course is split into two main areas, academic and clinical work. In the first year, the course covers a lot of biochemistry, and I believe my A-levels in biology and chemistry will help me here. The course will also contain numerous calculations especially in working out specific requirements. My mathematics knowledge will help me here. There will be many parts which are new to me and these include behavioural sciences such as psychology and sociology. Modules in professional studies will also be new to me although my work experiences have enabled me to observe some of these skills in practice.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

As a person, I view myself as organised, committed, and friendly. I think these are all qualities which will help me in the dietetic world. I am organised because I complete all my college assignments on time, and to a high standard. I like to organise my days in advance so tasks get completed on time, and free time is used effectively. I believe I am committed to my studies. I chose to attend a college with a higher profile than my local college even though this resulted in 90 minutes of travelling per day. I feel I am friendly and can mix with other people in unfamiliar situations. This is important as communication skills are vital in a dietetic career.

In my spare time, I enjoy voluntary work, leisure activities, and part-time work. I am currently a young Guide leader for my local Guide group. This has enabled me to work towards the Guide Association's leadership qualification. On completion I will be qualified to be an assistant Guide Leader. The qualification aims at developing skills required in order to run a unit and also develops teamwork and leadership skills. For leisure, I am a member of my local gym. This is primarily to improve fitness but it also builds self-confidence and I meet new people. I am currently employed at my local Primark store as a till operator. The job has enabled me to develop customer service skills, which will be important in my future career.

As well as these activities, I like to take part in my college's enrichment programme. I have participated in IT enrichment and Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. The IT enrichment has provided me with an OCR qualification in text production up to level 3. I am continuing with these classes in order to obtain the Diploma in Text Production. I am currently working towards the Duke of Edinburgh Gold award and have completed the expedition and residential aspects of this award. For my residential, I took part in an International Guide and Scout camp, where I was a staff member working on the catering team. Both expedition and residential helped me incorporate teamwork but in different scenarios.

Universities applied to:

• Queen Margaret University Edinburgh
• University Wales Institute Cardiff
• Leeds Metropolitan University
• Glasgow Caledonian University
• Surrey University
• Nottingham University

Grades achieved:

• 180 Points from at least 2 A-levels, including 2 sciences
• 260 Points from 3 A-levels including Biology and Chemistry
• CCD Including chemistry and one other science
• Conditional offer (Glasgow Caledonian University)
• BBB: include 2 sciences preferably chemistry and biology
• BCC: Including chemistry and one other science

How personal statements have changed?

The current personal statement format, with three 'scaffolding' questions, was introduced by Ucas in September 2025. This personal statement was submitted before then, using the old essay-style format. It has been carefully edited into the three-question format, with all of the original wording kept.

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