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Application Guide 2024:
Medicine
How Medical Schools and Universities Use the Personal Statement 2024
Medicine Admissions Expert
Introduction
Wondering how universities use the medicine personal statement and grade it? Do you really need to stand out when writing your personal statement? Find everything you need to know about how medical schools and universities use and look at medicine personal statements in 2024.
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Do universities read personal statements?
Every medical school uses the personal statement slightly differently, and you can tailor yours for the schools to which you are applying. Below, we detail how each medical school in the UK uses the personal statement. They each fit broadly into at least one of five categories:
Not used at all
Used but not marked
Used as a tiebreaker
Marked to shortlist interview candidates
Used during interviews
Important disclaimer: Some universities don’t fit neatly into the categories mentioned, and may use the personal statement in a unique fashion.
You should check the website of each university to which you are applying for more specific information.
Additionally, you should write your personal statement to the best of your abilities regardless of which universities you are applying to! They almost all make exceptions to their rules, and you don’t want to be caught out.
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1. Not used at all
Eg: Brighton and Sussex, Exeter, Manchester, Norwich, Plymouth, Sheffield, St George’s, Warwick
Some universities choose not to use the medical personal statement when deciding on candidates to shortlist for interviews or offers.
However, it is important to note that just because they don’t use them it doesn’t mean that they don’t read them. Your personal statement should still meet two key criteria at the bare minimum, even if you are only applying to schools on this list:
Your personal statement must be medicine-centric. Many medical schools will decline an application with a personal statement focused on something else, regardless of how good the rest of the application is.
Extenuating circumstances described in the medical personal statement are usually still considered (if they are not, then universities will have a separate form that you can fill out to describe extenuating circumstances). You should detail these in your personal statement.
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2. Used but not marked
Eg: Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Nottingham, St Andrews, Swansea.
Many universities will not mark your personal statement but will still read it. Generally, they are looking for two things:
That you have undertaken at least some health-related work experience (eg if you have not then St Andrews will not consider you for an interview), and that you do not have any red flags in your statement.
Red flags to avoid may include:
Bad motivation: If you are applying to study medicine for self-serving reasons, such as those of money or ego, then your application will be rejected
No motivation: If you are applying to medicine with no motivation beyond eg a time when doctors helped you in the past, then you may be rejected
Rose-tinted glasses: If you describe a career in medicine in an extremely idealistic manner, your application may be rejected
Personality flaws: If you show any values that contradict those of medical schools then your application may be declined, eg a poor approach to teamwork
Please do not stress about these red flags - a very slim minority of candidates ever show them.
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3. Used as a tiebreaker
Eg: Aston, Bristol, Edge Hill, Hull York, Kent and Medway, Leicester
These universities will use your personal statement when deciding between candidates who are similar in other areas e.g. grades, UCAT score and interview performance.
It is crucial to make sure that your personal statement is excellent if applying to these universities, as it can make the difference between an offer and a rejection.
Check out our other articles for key tips on how to make your personal statement come out on top in such a comparison. Remember to:
Avoid clichés: These don’t help you to stand out, or show original thinking.
Reference specific events from work experience: This shows that you have thought critically about what you saw and did.
Reflect on important characteristics: Discuss how your unique experiences in life and extracurriculars have allowed you to develop the characteristics important for a doctor to possess.
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4. Used to shortlist interview candidates
Eg: Buckingham, Cardiff, Dundee, Imperial, King’s, Oxford, UCL, UCLan
Medical schools listed here will score your personal statement in order to decide whether to offer you an interview slot. You should check their websites for specific criteria, but in general, they are looking for the following:
A motivated candidate who shows a strong desire to study medicine that is founded upon an accurate conception of what a career in medicine entails
A candidate who has undertaken a variety of relevant experience to make sure that medicine is right for them, and has learnt from this experience
A candidate whose extra-curricular activities have enabled them to develop key transferable skills such as empathy and teamwork
A reflective candidate who can learn from their experiences and consider how they might act differently in the future
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5. Used during medical interviews
Eg: Aberdeen, Anglia Ruskin, Barts/QMU, Cambridge, Keele, Kent and Medway, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Queen’s University Belfast, Southampton, Sunderland
Some medical schools base interview questions and/or MMI stations on your personal statement. When applying to these universities, write your personal statement on topics that you are happy to be asked about in more detail. Before attending your interview, brush up on everything you have mentioned in your personal statement and re-read it to remind yourself of what you have discussed. This is also important in personal statements for Oxbridge applications.
This can include aspects of work experience, extra-curricular activities, case studies or diseases that you have mentioned, and books or academic literature that you have read.
Interviewers will not try to “catch you out”, but they will challenge you on the depth and breadth of your knowledge and skills.
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Securing an offer
For more advice on how to secure an offer at any of the universities mentioned above, check out the rest of our Ultimate Personal Statement Guide 2024!
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