Personal Statement:Medicine 42

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

For most of my life, I lived in Uzbekistan. When I was there, my passion for medicine was triggered when I shadowed a doctor at a hospital and gained an insight into the demands of the profession. My roles involved helping the patients to move wards, giving assistance to the doctor and nurses and comforting the patients, when needed. I got interested in the secrets of the human body and its mechanisms. I have read books, such as Michael Foxton's 'Bedside Stories', which made me appreciate how hard the work of a junior doctor is, but made me even keener to face the challenges. I became fascinated by the Genetics of Medicine when I read the 'Seven Daughters of Eve' by Bryan Sykes and 'When a gene makes you smell like a fish' by Lisa Seachrist Chiu. I am keen to further my studies of Biology and Chemistry, because I believe that this will allow me to pursue a career in Medicine.

I would love to work as doctor and face the challenges of this wonderful profession. I believe that everyone in the world deserves the right to health care and I hope to contribute to society and benefit the next generation.

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

At the moment, I am studying A-level Biology, Chemistry and History. I have already successfully completed A2 Russian, achieving one of the top ten highest grades nationally. I love Chemistry and Biology and find their combination fascinating; these make you understand how the small molecules in our body, such as haemoglobin, can affect our behaviour and health. Whilst in Uzbekistan I learnt how to work independently and complete my own research, as support for science studies there was limited. In spite of the difficulties I faced, my passion for medicine has inspired me to continue my studies in science.

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

In order to gain more experience in this field, I have applied for a place on a Mini Medical School Course at the Centre for Life in Newcastle. I am also due to undertake a work experience placement at a GP surgery at the beginning of October in order to get some "hands on" experience in the UK to complement my academic studies. In addition, I have started training at St John's Ambulance. I am excited about continuing my work there as I find the opportunity to help people very rewarding.

I speak three languages fluently (English, Russian and Armenian) and I think that this will help me to communicate with a wide range of people and relate to people from different backgrounds and nationalities.

Throughout the year that I have lived in the UK, I have taken advantage of many opportunities to work with young people and children. I have been a volunteer at the North of England Refugee Service, within the Youth Integration Project, for one year now and have a 400 hours volunteering certificate. During this time, I have developed leadership skills as a youth facilitator, working with children aged 11-15. At the moment, I am completing the Silver Youth Achievement Award to gain accreditation for my achievements in youth work. I have taken responsibility to organise activities and sessions for young people and believe that this will help me in the future, as I have developed the skills to lead groups of people. Furthermore, volunteering at NERS has helped me to learn how to work as part of a team. I enjoyed working with children, as I experienced enormous joy when watching them grow in their talents and achieve. Combined with my love for medicine this made me understand that I want to spend my life working with children in medicine, so now I am seriously considering Paediatrics as a career option.

In addition to Medicine, I have other interests, such as music and drama. I love singing and I play in musical theatre at The Sage Gateshead, having performed in public many times. I have sung at the Barbican in London at the opening of the Cultural Olympiad, as part of Youth Music Voices. It was one of the best experiences I have had and I am hoping to continue with music and drama in the future.

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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