Medicine Personal statement for UCAS; Medicine Personal statement; My ambition to become a doctor has grown out of a love of science subjects and a real curiosity about the workings of the body, combined with a deep desire to be able to use the skills and knowledge I have gained to help people at their most vulnerable, alleviate pain and generally change people’s lives.  Doctors who treated me as a child impressed with their professionalism and authority, as they showed me both compassion and respect, and this set me an example of real commitment to human care.  I could see how rewarding the doctor’s role could be, both personally and professionally.  At the same time I am very interested in the complexities of the body, the ways that it can fail as well as its ability to correct itself.  Exploring my subject through literature I read Peter Piot’s book, No Time to Lose, with its inspiring account of his work with the ebola virus, STDs and AIDS. He insists that good intentions need proper scientific knowledge to give them substance, and it is indeed this combination of science and compassion which appeals to me so much in the doctor’s role.  I am fully aware that both the training and the day-to-day life of a medic can be challenging and even arduous, but I am confident that I have the resources and ability to handle anything I might encounter, and look forward to a very fulfilling career.

Medicine Personal statement; I am applying under slightly unusual circumstances.  In 2011 I achieved the top A-level grades required for an application to read Medicine and chose to take a gap year (incidentally taking an AS in Philosophy in the process), but unfortunately I failed to gain a place.  Neither my patience nor my self-respect would allow me to take another year out of full-time education, and so I have begun a first degree course in Microbiology and am therefore applying during the first year of this course. My determination to study Medicine remains paramount in my plans, and I hope that my present application will be considered sympathetically.

Much of my work experience has been in medical or caring roles.  I arranged a work placement in an HIV clinic and learnt much about how a medical practice operates.  I sat in on consultations, where it was clear how important it is to show tact and understanding when dealing with sensitive personal issues in order to make the patient feel comfortable.  Spending time with the phlebotomist and the nurses made me aware of the key importance of teamwork in healthcare.  I also work as a volunteer for the charity Crisis, which serves the homeless, particularly at Christmas.  I serve food, hand out clothing and generally make the guests feel welcome, and I have myself organised clothes collections for the charity.  I travelled in Africa during my gap year, journeying overland for six weeks with a cooperative team, camping out the whole time, cooking and cleaning.  It was an entirely new experience for me, challenging in many ways, both physically and mentally, and gave me the chance to develop independence and self-reliance.  During this summer I joined a project in Zambia called The Book Bus, which I had researched before I went. The essential  thing for me was that the project did not deprive locals of work in any way.  Volunteers introduce books to children and encourage their interest in reading, in a country where school books are often scarce. At home I also tutored a local girl needing help with her maths and English, as well as offering some emotional support in her troubled home life.

Outside my medical interests I also enjoy theatre and opera, and I am a keen swimmer and qualified open water diver.  I am very hard-working, compassionate by nature and eager to serve others with my best abilities.  I am strong academically and love learning for its own sake, work well with others, am unafraid to ask for help and am equally ready to help anyone else. My commitment to my subject is total and I believe I have the necessary qualities to become a very successful medical student.

Medicine Personal statement