Personal Statement:Medicine 12

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Throughout my life I have had a deep interest in medicine. At an early age I have felt the desire to help people who have been hurt, even with a plaster. As I have grown this feeling has developed further and this has led me to think about a career in medicine. This career plan developed further when I realised that medicine is a perfect combination of the sciences, which have been favourite subjects of mine throughout my life. The deciding factor for me however was during a visit to an A&E department where I saw the pressure that doctors were under to diagnose quickly and accurately, this is a quality I feel I posses and would enjoy the challenge of diagnosis. This combination of experiences throughout my life has made me realise that medicine is the right choice for me.

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

The subjects I chose at A-level relate to my career choice; I chose chemistry and biology to aid my understanding of the human body and how chemicals control biological processes. My knowledge of chemistry has helped me to understand how the chemical structure of drugs enables them to carry out their function in the human body. I chose AS-level mathematics as I enjoy maths and applying it to everyday problems; this course has given me the knowledge in statistics that will be required in the medical field. Psychology is a subject that fascinates me, thus I have chosen this subject as an A-level.

To aid my research into the world of medicine I have been to the Medsim course at Nottingham University, 'A Taste of Medicine' at St George's, a lecture at Abbey College and finally a short course about interview techniques at my current school. During these courses I was able to learn practical skills such as how to draw blood using a vacuum syringe and a dummy arm, CPR on a dummy child and adult, how to give a muscular injection and most memorably being able to perform keyhole surgery on an artificial model. Other skills I have learned are how to give presentations and how to answer difficult questions at an interview. These experiences were invaluable and only re-enforced my desire for medicine.

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

To help me experience life in the world around medicine I have had work experience at a school for children with special needs, a GP's surgery and most recently in Nuneaton hospital. During this work experience I have seen how doctors communicate with the patient during general consultations and whilst breaking bad news, in addition I have also seen a wide variety of medical examinations and procedures.

A previous work experience placement in the nursery of a special school during which I was in contact with deaf children encouraged me to enrol in a sign language course. I am currently attending the British Sign Language Stage 1 course and enjoy it immensely.

The newspapers and journals I regularly read are New Scientist, Scientist, Biological Sciences Review, BMJ and the Guardian to help me keep up with current news in the world of medicine and the sciences in general. These journals and newspapers are very useful to me as I gain a broad range of views about current issues in medicine.

During school hours I have many responsibilities. I am a form prefect to year 7, this is a role of great responsibility as I have to make sure that these pupils are happy and feel comfortable in their first year of secondary education. As a mentor to a member of year 7 it is my duty to guide her through the first and often the most psychologically stressful year of secondary school.

As a liaison officer in the cultural awareness society I have to attend meetings in a national group called 'Let's Talk'. Let's Talk is dedicated to making the world a more peaceful place by helping the youth to integrate with their neighbours; thus making the world a far more hospitable place. I feel that because of this I have developed my communication skills, as I have to participate in many large group discussions.

I enjoy playing the sitar and have been on a course to learn to play the guitar, I enjoy listening and playing music, a hobby I find very relaxing. Another hobby of mine is swimming, which has been my favourite sport for as long as I can remember and swim regularly now.

All in all I feel that medicine is the right career for me and I hope to see you at the interview.

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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