Personal Statement:Medicine 58

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

My aspiration to be a doctor is founded upon a keen interest in science and a caring nature. I am a sociable person, and from an early age I have integrated myself into different groups within the community, ranging from several Martial Arts classes to sports teams and the Gym. As a child I also used to enjoy songs and games at a Gospel Hall. I believe that groups like these have been important factors in developing my sociability and leadership skills, which I know would be useful should I become a doctor.

To see if medicine is indeed the career for me I have gained experience in various caring and medical environments. My first placement was on the Cardiac Ward at Pontefract Hospital, where within the first hour of being there an elderly man slipped and injured his face, which made me realise how hectic things can get. On the other hand I found it enjoyable to talk to the patients, it was apparent that a lot of them were very scared and I believe that even the act of making them a cup of tea and listening to them could help to comfort them. Of late I volunteer in this hospital doing similar tasks to help both staff and patients. This gives me an opportunity to talk to patients regularly and to experience hospital life first-hand.

Another memorable experience was my time spent shadowing a Consultant Psychiatrist at Fieldhead Hospital. I attended ward rounds and listened to the patients tell the Consultant how they felt, how they were reacting to the drugs and whether they felt that they would benefit from being granted leave. I found it particularly interesting to observe the Consultant ask specific questions to try and uncover the underlying mental health problems and use the responses, along with previous history of the patients to help with the diagnosis of appropriate treatments. I used to enjoy reading about this in A Level Psychology but witnessing it in reality was even more satisfying.

I knew at this point that I could make a difference and that Medicine is definitely the career for me.

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

In addition to my placements in the hospital, I organised some work experience at Riverside Medical Centre. Tasks varied from observing the administrative side of general practice, including helping to assimilate new patients' medical records into the computer system, to listening to the calls during a triage. Although this gave me useful insight into how a local surgery works, by far the most memorable part of my time there was accompanying a GP on a home visit to see an elderly man. Unfortunately the man was very ill and vomiting frequently. The GP told me that if he stayed at home he would die of dehydration and it may be stomach cancer. The patient did not want to die in hospital and wanted to stay at home with his tearful wife. Fortunately the GP reasoned with the patient and arranged for an ambulance to take him to hospital to be re-hydrated. I will never forget the look on the man's face when he told me he thought it was 'The big C' and that he was 'scared stiff.' By persuading the patient to going to hospital the GP had possibly saved a life.

I have also found that previous employment has improved my communication skills. I worked at Diggerland which involved supervising children and some interaction with the disabled. I found it fulfilling to work alongside the carers of the disabled in order to make their day out as enjoyable as possible.

The experience I have gained has taught me of the dedication required to be successful in medicine, yet it is a career to which I truly aspire and I believe I have the attitude and empathy to succeed in the challenging career of caring and life-long learning that comes with being a doctor.

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

I am now taking a gap year after being unsuccessful last year but as I am a very committed person I shall not let this deter me from my goal. I am making plans to travel this year but prior to this I intend to work for six months and further increase my experience.

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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