Medicine Personal Statement

The Reader

For all prospective medical students the personal statement should stay at the forefront of your mind.

Imagine how difficult it must be to choose between thousands of students with the same grades and academic backgrounds. Medical Admissions Officers want subjective criteria to make a decision, and in most cases the personal statement is the best source for this information.

One of the key complaints Admissions Officers have, is that the personal statement is often poorly structured, and that they do not convey the reasons why the applicant wishes to study. Structuring your personal statement with key questions in mind is the only way to avoid a poorly written personal statement.

Get Into Uni surveyed Admissions Officers to find out exactly what is their criterion. Below are the top requirements:

Write in clear English.
Allow friends, family, and teachers to read through your personal statement and provide feedback.
List paragraphs.
Be positive and enthusiastic.
Remember that admissions officers will read thousands of personal statements, and you want yours to be the one they remember.
Write in short sentences.
Be as clear as possible about why you have chosen your course of study.
Set out the unique features and extracurricular activities that will allow you to be selected ahead of your peers.
Take the opportunity to point out any occurrences or circumstances that may have affected your academic results.
Construct the personal statement into 4 to 5 paragraphs.
Keep sentences short and succinct.

It is important that you be aware of your readership because the personal statement should be tailored to what the reader wants to hear.

Now you have a better idea on what the admissions officers want to read let’s start our creative workshop.

Next: Start the creative thinking workshop.

Note: This guide is not intended to replace the advice of tutors, admissions officers, or teachers; Get Into Uni simply provides advice and exercises to help you write a compelling personal statement.