Personal Statement:Pharmacy 5

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Ever since I started my GCSE course I have developed an interest in the sciences, particularly in chemistry and biology. When deciding on my AS level choices I decided to develop this interest further into a career.

I began looking into many courses involving the sciences, and decided that pharmacy suited me the most. I made this choice as I found certain aspects of my GCSE and AS specifications which are involved in pharmacy, very stimulating. There was a short section in my GCSE biology specification which was related to certain legal and illegal drugs and the effects they can have on people. In another section of the same course I learnt about how bacteria can form a resistance to antibiotics as all the bacteria which are resistant to the antibiotic die and the only bacteria that are resistant to the antibiotic, the resistant bacteria are able to grow without much competition and therefore the population of the resistant bacteria increase and all the offspring will be resistant to the antibiotic.

In the future I am considering opening a community pharmacy after I have completed my course and had adequate training as a pharmacist. I am looking forward to use my knowledge of the sciences to help people.

One of the main aspects I am looking forward is direct contact between me and the individuals in the community and giving them medical advice by responding to their symptoms.

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

Last year I organized work experience at a GP surgery at Hunslet Medical Centre, where I watched how the doctors deal with their patients. I realised how doctors handle different kinds of patients. I saw how a doctor calmed difficult patients and later comforted a mother when her child was not breathing normally, and it became clear how just one person being ill can affect so many people around him/her, and how being under pressure or suffering from depression can make people more susceptible to illnesses.

After completing my work experience here I was fortunate enough to gain further work experience at a community pharmacy. Where I was able to see the procedures required for the dispensing of prescription items. I realized just how important communication between the doctor and the pharmacist is, and how one of the main responsibilities of a pharmacist is to make sure that the doctor has prescribed both the correct drug and the correct dose to the patient.

I spent approximately six months helping in an old people's residential home for one hour per week, as a part of our school community service programme. I found the experience much more rewarding and enjoyable than I had expected, and I was very aware that the residents appreciated just being listened to and talked to. My supervisor told me just how much the people looked forward to me working there: my people skills improved greatly as a result of this experience.

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

Outside of my academic work I spend the majority of my time taking part in sports. The sport which I enjoy the most is football; I play for my School's 1st team as well several teams outside of school for many years. I have also taken part in my schools athletic events and have trained outside of school to improve my abilities at different events. Although rugby is not one of my favourite sports I have been selected to represent the school on a few occasions.

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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