Personal Statement:Medicine 31

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Medicine is by no means a walk in the park. It is more like a trek through a leech-infested rainforest. Aware of this, I am still determined to become a doctor. Why?

Ever since a small age, finding the reason behind things we take for granted has never ceased to astound me. It is sad that the only time some people care about their heart is when it is failing. Just reading books about the intricate way a nervous impulse spreads along your myocardium, initiating a heartbeat sends me into a distant realm of wonder. Being able to understand and to repair these systems is one of the main reasons I want to study medicine. Another thing that pushes me in the direction of medical school is the frequency of the use of logic in a doctor’s day. After doing logic puzzles, I realised just how much the existence of order brings a sense of purpose to my life. Of course my sole purpose in life is not to complete every puzzle in my book, but, even in my favourite subject chemistry, predicting reactions by reasoning why and how a certain theory does or does not fit in a particular circumstance seems to make my life a little sweeter. I have a queer addiction for that high when I finally put my pen down after a glorious victory after a 30-minute logic battle with a calculation. Being able to exercise logic and reasoning in my working life is a chance that I would be a fool to miss.

Of course, medicine is not all about Sherlock Holmes-like deduction. Going on rounds with doctors while working in a leading hospital in Colombo, I was pleasantly-surprised at how much they actually cared about their patients. A doctor’s kindness can be mistaken for obligation but just listening to this doctor talking about how much he was worried about his patient, I realised that he was expressing genuine concern. I find it a blessing to have a chance to care for others, and this man seemed the perfect example of the person I wanted to become.

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

Having experience with caring for others helps make me more suited for a degree in medicine. When working for charity at an Elder’s Home, tasks would range from listening to a slightly-senile, retired priest talking endlessly about how his watch (at repairs) had been stolen to feeding lunch to a ratty, melodramatic 98-year old who would look at you through oversized glasses and curse when you gave her too much rice. It felt as if I learned more patience then than I had ever learned before. I am convinced that every time I walked out of those doors, I was a more mature person than when I had walked in.

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

Some extra-curricular activities I do also prepare me for a degree in medicine. I play first violin as a full member in the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka and last year, I composed 15 original songs which were performed in a school musical. I am also involved in my school choir (conductor and secretary) as well the Colombo Catholic Youth Choir which traveled to Germany in 2005. I have taken part in many plays performed in school as well as playing lead roles in a British Council comedy and the King and I. All these various extra-curricular endeavours as well as others, like playing for the school football team and being an active member in Model United Nations and simulation-SAARC conferences, have taught me the value of commitment, dedication and perseverance. If I did not posses these qualities, I would not have been able to do these and balance an outstanding academic career as well. Being a prefect in my school has also taught me a high level of maturity.

I conclude by saying that I feel I have the qualities to become a doctor and I will do my best to live down the words of Benjamin Franklin, “Beware the young doctor and the old barber.”

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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