Personal Statement:Medicine 106

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Ever since the day I saw Lord Winston's documentary "The Human Body" as a child, the amazement and admiration for this fascinating biological machine has never left me. It is this everlasting love of science and desire to use my knowledge and skills for the benefit of others that compels me to pursue a career in medicine.

Greater insight in medicine started when I attended a taster day at Frimely Park Hospital. Talking to doctors from a range of specialties provided me a realistic view of medicine as a profession. Despite being informed of the negatives, the experience only furthered my passion for medicine. My manual dexterity was tested in a key-hole surgery simulation, although challenging, it gave me a taste of the pressures surgeons must face daily. Shadowing the cardiology ward at Homerton University Hospital taught me the intricate nature of treating patients; each individual is unique and even a straightforward patient comes with an exclusive set of challenges. I had the privilege to sit in a meeting where junior doctors discussed patients' treatment plans with a team of doctors and gained valuable insight into the importance of working as a team, sharing ideas and knowledge to provide the best care for the patient. Observing doctors fulfilling a teaching role also made me admire the breadth of a doctor's role. A fascinating case I saw at Northwick Park Hospital was a patient who had lost his nose to cancer, surgeons then constructed a new nose using various parts of his body. This was a first for the surgeons and made me appreciate the constant learning experience within medicine. My placements also taught me that a doctor may need to explore any factor which has potential impact on a patient's health, such as domestic circumstances.

Although demanding, my ambition to read medicine has only been enforced through my work experience and academic studies. I believe medicine will be a stimulating field to work in and a career that I will thoroughly enjoy.

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

Leading up to A-levels I achieved silver and gold in the Junior Maths Challenge and gained silver in the Biology Olympiad. At Secondary School I was a science prefect and a senior prefect, this involved leading assemblies and running events for the lower year students, which armed me with invaluable experience in leadership and organisation. This year I achieved silver in the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge and my Extended Project on Euthanasia has given me an insight into self-directed research and the ethical issues in medicine. I enjoy reading the New Scientist and this along with my Open University Course on drugs, have broadened my scientific knowledge. Being Chemistry representative and mentor in college has also further developed my interpersonal skills. Successful completion of bronze Duke of Edinburgh award has given me practice in teamwork and spurred me on to do Gold. I have partaken and passed level 1 in both Sports and Language leadership courses, which I believe enhanced my leadership qualities. I now help coach badminton at my old primary school.

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

For a year now I have been mentoring the elderly in computers where it is a completely new language to them. This requires me to be patient, listen and communicate effectively, skills essential for a doctor. I have tutored maths once a week to lower set Year 1 children at Cherrywood Primary School. This was a challenging but exciting experience as many have learning difficulties. Currently I am volunteering at Frimely Park Hospital and have learnt that even engaging patients in polite conversation can brighten up their day.

Sport and music provide me with great stress relief and I enjoy playing badminton with friends and weekly at a local club. I recently passed piano Grade 8 and have participated in the Woking pianotholon to raise money for Woking Hospice. A strong interest in computers has enabled me successfully assemble three computers and help upgrade computers of others.

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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