I have been fascinated by the sciences for as long as I can remember. Particularly, it was my passion for chemistry and biology that sparked my interest in pharmacy, an interest that has been deepened by my academic and extensive medical voluntary experience. I am now confident that I have the skills, enthusiasm and tenacity to make a real success of this course and my future career in pharmacology. The genetics module of my biology course was inspiring; I enjoyed learning how our genes affect us in terms of our physical makeup and basic personality traits and about the reactions that lead to mutations and facilitate our development. Reading the Pharmaceutical Journal and books such as The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins has enabled me to reflect on my work and read around particular topic areas. I have also attended several lectures, including the most recent Henry Cole lecture: ‘The Curious Brain’ by Prof. Uta Frith and I am nearing completion of a project on ‘Drugs that cause side-effects more harmful than the original health problem’ as part of my Gold Crest Award, accredited by the British Science Association. I feel that it is important to understand the fundamentals of the human body before it is possible to start treating people because of the great possibility of doing more harm than good. This ethical element of the pharmacy profession is especially intriguing to me, the moral dimension of healthcare and drug administration applies not merely to a single patient, but to the whole world.

My work as a volunteer at Musgrove Park Hospital allowed me to see the results of medical research being put into practice and to speak to doctors and patients about their work and what they would like to see being developed in the future. Having worked at the hospital for a year, I decided to broaden my experience of the medical profession by undertaking work experience at a dental surgery. I witnessed several complex procedures and I was particularly impressed by the skill and knowledge used to treat the patients, a professionalism I hope to emulate. Working in a community pharmacy, I enjoyed learning about the role and daily responsibilities of a pharmacist as well as the realities of this science as a business. I developed more of an awareness of duty to the customer in terms of both legal obligations and communicating to a non-scientific audience. My knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry was further expanded by undertaking work experience at a hospital pharmacy, giving me an insight into the use of pharmaceuticals within the NHS. These experiences truly affirmed my passion for pharmacy.

I pride myself on the effectiveness of my communication, speaking English and Guajarati fluently, and being able to tailor my language according to a situation. As a school prefect, I provided an important connection between staff and students and improved my communication, team-building and leadership skills. These traits were useful in my role as a member of the sixth form forum, which required me to represent my schoolhouse. My sense of responsibility and discipline was further developed serving in the RAF section of the Combined Cadet Force, which also gave me the wonderful opportunity to fly. I have represented the school’s hockey and cricket teams and have been part of the Green Power team, building a battery-powered car and competing against students from across the country, which taught me a great deal about working productively with others.

I look forward to using my academic, medical, pharmacological and extra curricular work experience to achieve great things on this course and later as a pharmacist. I believe I have the skills, experience, motivation and interest to succeed. The chance to apply my intellectual and scientific interests in practice, in a field, which involves constant human interaction and makes a tangible difference to society, appeals to me considerably.

What a brilliant statement. And excellently written. I have put in another paragraph to make the structure more defined and I have drawn out academic, voluntary and extra curricular work as themes to compliment this structure and to hammer home the fact you have all bases covered and can use these skills to make a real success of this course and your future career. I have also made a few sentences more direct, more concise to increase the impact of the text and engage the reader.

Personal statement example