Personal Statement:Pharmacology 1

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

“Pharmacology? Like farms and stuff?” “No, not exactly” I say to the third person to ask me in as many days. Farm animals may well have been a passion for me as a toddler but from primary school onwards my interest has been firmly fixed in the world of Science and Medicine. A school project on lungs coupled with a dad who answered all my questions, giving me knowledge which I only really started using in the first year of my A level biology course, really fired my imagination for the human body, it's functions and it's malfunctions. My dad runs a small community pharmacy that I have been working in part-time for almost four years and during that time my fascination for the human body has evolved to encompass the substances that can both heal and harm it. Having seen first hand how medicines can do both I feel compelled to contribute to this exciting and ever-changing field of science to increase the number of drugs that help us and understand the drugs that harm.

This year I attended Bristol Biochemistry day which focussed on diabetes. This day gave me a real taste of what it would be like to study Pharmacology and how important the work of Pharmacologists and Biochemists is. I hope to study for an Mpharmacol which I would then love to take further to a Ph.D, potentially in something like Neuropharmacology. Neuropharmacology appeals in particular because there is so much we don't know about the brain. As we live longer diseases that afflict the brain and CNS are on the increase such as Dementia and Parkinson's and I feel that if a cure could be found then the quality of life for thousands of elderly people would be improved drastically. Overall I hope to become a researcher working on problems right at the cutting edge of the field.

By studying Pharmacology at university I hope to be able to transform from someone who has only a little knowledge but a lot of enthusiasm for the subject into someone who is as knowledgeable as they are enthusiastic. Ultimately I hope to be able to conduct research that makes a real difference to people and how their illnesses are treated.

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

During my Biology and Chemistry As level courses I have found the practical work to be some of the most enjoyable. My favourite experiment was making a sample of aspirin in Chemistry. I found it amazing that a drug that has saved many hundreds of thousands of lives could be made by a seventeen year old in a college lab and the fact we only really found out how it worked in the 1970s made it even more impressive. To be able to make a discovery of such importance like that of Sir Jon Vane I feel would be an achievement of a lifetime.

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

As well as enjoying my studies I also enjoy having fun outside of college. I play the flute and am currently studying for my grade 5 theory and grade 8 practical exams. I also play the Irish whistle and attend a weekly folk club. I keep active by playing field hockey at my local club and I go rock climbing at an indoor wall. I love the outdoors and spend most of my free time with my friends, either hill walking, cycling or scrambling. I'd love to be able to continue my music and sport whilst at university and hope to be able to get involved with activities such as debating. At school I achieved the bronze Duke of Edinburgh award in which I was given the great responsibility of reading the map! I was also entered with the winning team into a Young Enterprise day at Intel in which I had to give a presentation selling a new product entirely in French. Reading is one of my favourite past times and I enjoy both fiction and non-fiction. I often read Chemistry and Biology review and some of my dad's journals such as PJ and C&D to broaden my knowledge of the advances within the Pharmaceutical industry. Earlier this year I completed a Pharmacy counter assistant course which gave me a basic knowledge of OTC medication. This has really helped my understanding of the practical applications of the medication I may one day help to create.

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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