Preparing your personal statement

What is a personal statment?

A personal statement is your opportunity to showcase your motivation, experiences, and qualities. It helps medical schools identify candidates they think will become good doctors.

Once you meet the entry requirements, you should start preparing your personal statement. The admissions tutors aren't just looking for long, impressive lists of everything you have ever done. They want to see how these experiences:

• informed your decision to become a doctor 
• demonstrate you have the right personal qualities for the profession

Not all medical schools put the same emphasis on personal statements. Some only read them, while others will score your personal statement and consider it when ranking your application.

How your personal statement could be used during the application process

Medical schools may use your personal statement in the following ways:

1. Your personal statement could be reviewed during the interview shortlisting process. It will give the admissions teams an insight into the skills, motivations and experiences you have developed beyond your academic achievements.
2. If you are invited to interview, the panel may ask questions about what you included in your personal statement.

The You Can Be A Doctor website offers advice on the content and structure of your personal statement. Discover top tips on preparing your personal statement.

Work experience

Medical schools expect you to have gained some people-focused work experience before applying to study Medicine. This experience will help you better understand what a career as a doctor involves. It also provides valuable insights for your personal statement and interview, enabling you to articulate your skills and commitment to the profession.

Paid or unpaid work experience can include: 

• working in a healthcare or service role
• observation, such as shadowing a GP

The types of workplace experiences required by medical schools can vary, so it is worth checking the specific requirements.

How to gain work experience

There are various ways to gain work experience, but you may not know where to start. A helpful first step is to prepare a short CV. You can send it to GP surgeries, hospitals, care homes, and other healthcare settings. 

It may not be easy to secure experience in a healthcare setting, but it’s good to show your initiative and resilience.

Other ways of gaining work experience

Medical schools recognise that gaining experience in a clinical or healthcare setting can be difficult. Don’t worry—there are other ways to gain work experience.

Volunteering

Volunteering is a great way to develop some of the strengths, skills, knowledge and experience required for a medical career. It will also demonstrate your commitment to helping others and allow you to gain experience in a healthcare setting.

There are a range of organisations offering various volunteering opportunities. It may be possible for you to volunteer in a healthcare setting. Non-medical volunteering can also help develop skills, knowledge, and attributes you can highlight in your personal statement or interview.

Volunteering in a residential care home can provide the opportunity to show your caring nature and ability to empathise with others. It can also equip you with specific examples that demonstrate skills, such as:

• communication
• problem-solving
• leadership
• resilience

You could also consider other part-time or weekend jobs.

Virtual work experience

You could benefit from doing virtual work experience, and there are several online opportunities for those considering a career in medicine:

• NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde: virtual ward rounds
• Brighton and Sussex Medical School: virtual work experience 

Other virtual work experience opportunities may be available.

Reflecting on your work experience

You should reflect on any work experience, volunteering, or shadowing you do and articulate the skills and knowledge you’ve gained. This reflection is essential for your personal statement and interview, as it demonstrates how your experiences relate to and enhance your application.

Reflection toolkit

The University of Edinburgh has produced a Reflection toolkit, which can help you to develop your reflective skills:

• Reflection toolkit: producing reflections
• Reflection toolkit: reflecting on experience

The toolkit may also be helpful for you when thinking about what reflection is and how you can reflect on your experiences.