Medicine Personal Statement Examples – Plymouth (Abdullah)

Welcome to 6med's collection of Medicine Personal Statement Examples. Read through Abdullah's successful Medicine Personal Statement for the University of Plymouth, where he will analyse the strengths, weaknesses and overall quality of his statement to inspire your own writing.
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Welcome to our collection of Medicine Personal Statement Examples! We’ve searched far and wide to find personal statements from successful applicants all around the UK and asked them to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of their work for your own inspiration. Today’s subject is from Abdullah, who studies Medicine at the University of Plymouth.

Abdullah submitted this personal statement during the 2021 admissions cycle after failing to earn an offer the year before. This time around, he gained three out of four offers from his choice of medical schools, of which he chose to study at the University of Plymouth. 

UniversityUniversity of PlymouthLancaster UniversityUniversity of LeicesterUniversity of East Anglia
Offer? YesYesYesYes

Let’s read the personal statement that got him a place at the Plymouth, or skip straight to his feedback to learn what made his personal statement a success!

Please be aware that these examples are meant purely for the sake of inspiration, and should absolutely NOT be used as a model around which to base your own personal statement. UCAS have a rather strict system that detects plagiarism.

Plymouth Medicine Personal Statement Example

WHOLE PERSONAL STATEMENT

My desire to study Medicine has been a formative process over several years. I am inspired by the science and art of diagnosing disease in patients; it combines my passion for applied biomedical science and problem solving with teamwork and interpersonal interactions. Through this, my aim is to make a difference to patients and their families. I applied to study Medicine last year, but issues caused by COVID to the end of my sixth form studies and examination results process meant I was not successful. I have learned much from this experience, such as the importance of being more dynamic and prepared for unexpected events, and the process has refined my resilience. Over the summer I have been preparing for my summative A level examinations this October. I will also use the rest of this year to gain further work experience in a healthcare setting.

I enjoy learning and have expanded my knowledge of Medicine beyond the constraints of the curriculum through an EPQ on the history of Medicine. From my readings, it was clear that significant leaps were made during the middle ages by Middle Eastern scholars. Surprisingly, I found some medical discoveries credited to other physicians had been discovered centuries before by these physicians. This historical perspective helped me to connect medical concepts and thus understand the purpose of Medicine better. I recently read P. Kalanithi’s ‘When Breath Becomes Air’, in which the author describes how delicate neurosurgery, such as suboccipital craniectomy, is; any faults in the incision can lead to permanent paralysis. Inspired by this, I attended Operating Theatre Live. I learned more about types of sutures and anaesthesia and performed a craniotomy and leg amputation on a pig cadaver. This event enhanced my understanding of form and function. Through other aspects of the course, I was challenged to work through ethical dilemmas and how to apply the four pillars; I was fascinated by the complexity of the arguments made. 

While shadowing a general surgeon at the local hospital, I observed how they adapted from being emotionally aware to being reasoned and precise when discussing the diagnosis with junior doctors. I learned just how vital multidisciplinary teamwork and excellent communication is in medical practice. I have developed similar skills together with dedication and perseverance to complete my expedition in Gold DofE. Challenging climbs and overnight camping in arduous conditions made me realise the need for selfless teamwork and resilience. Shadowing a nurse on the ward, I observed medics deliberating on the best course of action for a debilitated patient. This patient had a spinal cord injury resulting in damage to essential autonomic functions like bladder control. I was moved by the empathy shown by the doctors while assessing each patient’s needs, something I had also seen in India. It is inspirational that doctors over the world strive for the best patient outcomes as their primary concern. Having spoken to doctors, medical students as well as my mother, who is also a doctor, I realise that Medicine can be a stressful profession and its important to find a work-life balance. I was a member of my school cricket team; this boosted my teamwork and communication skills and an awareness of each other’s weaknesses & strengths.  I mentored underperforming Year 11 Maths students; identifying the student’s weaknesses and worked with them to overcome them. Although this was challenging at times, I learned valuable lessons from it in patience and understanding.

Taken together, my experiences have helped me strengthen my resolve to pursue a career in Medicine. Through my determination, an appetite for applied bioscience and a strong desire to contribute to my community, I believe I possess the probity and dedication not just to be one of ‘Tomorrow’s Doctors’ but also strive to have a successful long-term career in Medicine.

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Plymouth Medicine Personal Statement Example Analysis

Now, let’s go section by section and see what Abdullah has to say about what he wrote: 

INTRODUCTION

My desire to study Medicine has been a formative process over several years. I am inspired by the science and art of diagnosing disease in patients; it combines my passion for applied biomedical science and problem solving with teamwork and interpersonal interactions. Through this, my aim is to make a difference to patients and their families. I applied to study Medicine last year, but issues caused by COVID to the end of my sixth form studies and examination results process meant I was not successful. I have learned much from this experience, such as the importance of being more dynamic and prepared for unexpected events, and the process has refined my resilience. Over the summer I have been preparing for my summative A level examinations this October. I will also use the rest of this year to gain further work experience in a healthcare setting.

Introduction

I think the introduction was started very well by going straight to the point and discussing the reasons why I decided to pursue medicine. These are personal reasons which showed my passion for wanting to take this career path. For example, COVID had quite an impact on my studies and my ability to put forward a competitive application for medicine, as a result I had to take a gap year to resit and make another application. While it’s more than likely that other people had similar experiences to this, expressing them in my own voice made it unique when compared to other applicants. Ensuring you personality is on display in your writing is one of the best things you can do to give the reader a good idea of who you are. 

Introduction

However, seeing as this is a long paragraph, I perhaps did not use the word count in the most effective way. For example, I could have expanded on what I have learnt from the experience I had after not being successful in the first application round and how that has changed my perspective of medicine. Getting into my personal story was a good idea, but I should have dedicated less space here and used it delve deeper into the the qualities that made me a good candidate. When writing your personal statement, you need to find the right balance between the story your telling and the proof of your knowledge and abilities. 

MAIN BODY

Paragraph 1

I enjoy learning and have expanded my knowledge of Medicine beyond the constraints of the curriculum through an EPQ on the history of Medicine. From my readings, it was clear that significant leaps were made during the middle ages by Middle Eastern scholars. Surprisingly, I found some medical discoveries credited to other physicians had been discovered centuries before by these physicians. This historical perspective helped me to connect medical concepts and thus understand the purpose of Medicine better. I recently read P. Kalanithi’s ‘When Breath Becomes Air’, in which the author describes how delicate neurosurgery, such as sub-occipital craniotomy, is; any faults in the incision can lead to permanent paralysis. Inspired by this, I attended Operating Theatre Live. I learned more about types of sutures and anaesthesia and performed a craniotomy and leg amputation on a pig cadaver. This event enhanced my understanding of form and function. Through other aspects of the course, I was challenged to work through ethical dilemmas and how to apply the four pillars; I was fascinated by the complexity of the arguments made. 

Paragraph 1

Its evident from this paragraph that I as an applicant understand that medicine is more than just reading and learning, there is a lot of research involved in it. As a result, I pursued research through the means of an EPQ and reading medicine-related books which gave me an insight into what a career in surgery might entail. Demonstrating a strong knowledge of the subject and an understanding of the medical field are important for showing your competency. Many people can get hands on experience but not learn valuable lessons, so showing that you have already developed an understanding of medicine before even mentioning work experience has worked out very well in my case. I also talk about activities I have undertaken which have strengthened my resolve to study medicine, which only adds to the point I am trying to display here, that I am a great candidate.

Paragraph 1

Once again, I could have expanded on what the book had taught me, and did it really change the insight into what I thought a career in medicine entails? Why did I want to attend the Operating Theatre Live? Is it because I was interested in surgery or just to experience what its like? These are all questions that would have been great to answer, but the restriction of word count makes it impossible to answer everything. Some people may find it beneficial to write a fully realised draft of their statement without concern for the word count, and then trim it down to an acceptable length afterwards. Does a sentence or statement not feel like it’s displaying a valuable point? If so, get rid of it. 

MAIN BODY

Paragraph 2

While shadowing a general surgeon at the local hospital, I observed how they adapted from being emotionally aware to being reasoned and precise when discussing the diagnosis with junior doctors. I learned just how vital multidisciplinary teamwork and excellent communication is in medical practice. I have developed similar skills together with dedication and perseverance to complete my expedition in Gold DofE. Challenging climbs and overnight camping in arduous conditions made me realise the need for selfless teamwork and resilience. Shadowing a nurse on the ward, I observed medics deliberating on the best course of action for a debilitated patient. This patient had a spinal cord injury resulting in damage to essential autonomic functions like bladder control. I was moved by the empathy shown by the doctors while assessing each patient’s needs, something I had also seen in India. It is inspirational that doctors over the world strive for the best patient outcomes as their primary concern. Having spoken to doctors, medical students as well as my mother, who is also a doctor, I realise that Medicine can be a stressful profession and its important to find a work-life balance. I was a member of my school cricket team; this boosted my teamwork and communication skills and an awareness of each other’s weaknesses & strengths.  I mentored underperforming Year 11 Maths students; identifying the student’s weaknesses and worked with them to overcome them. Although this was challenging at times, I learned valuable lessons from it in patience and understanding.

Paragraph 2

In this paragraph I discuss work experience and reflect upon it through activities I had taken. Reflection through experience helped me as an applicant understand the qualities that a doctor must possess in order to ensure good quality of care to patients is given. I do this by discussing and reflecting on activities such as DofE, bringing in the qualities I believe I utilised in the adventure. Some applicants may feel pressure when writing their personal statement if their work experience has not been as in-depth as others. Some people are able to get many placements in a variety of sectors, but having just one or two placements doesn’t make you any less of a feasible candidate. The key is to make the most of the experience you have and discuss how it helped you develop. 

As important as it is to acknowledge that medicine is a career that attracts you because of ‘this and that’, its useful to point out the disadvantages to make sure that the examiner sees that you understand the difficulties as well as the benefits of becoming a doctor. It shows that you are self-aware of the decisions you’re making and are truly dedicated to medicine. 

Paragraph 2

As always, there are things I could have added to strengthen this statement even further. For example, I could have written some more about maths mentoring, discussing why I feel that activity was important to be expressed in my P.S. Discussing qualities such as perseverance and dedication; why are these qualities important in a doctor. Although when writing about this, it’s always best to link it into your own experiences rather than just speaking of it generally. Everything you discuss should be something that you have personally experienced during your time preparing for your application.

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CONCLUSION

Taken together, my experiences have helped me strengthen my resolve to pursue a career in Medicine. Through my determination, an appetite for applied bioscience and a strong desire to contribute to my community, I believe I possess the probity and dedication not just to be one of ‘Tomorrow’s Doctors’ but also strive to have a successful long-term career in Medicine.

Conclusion

As the conclusion of the personal statement, it needs to be short and get the final point across without ‘beating around the bush’. It needs to be a summary of everything you’ve discussed, as well as briefly finalising why everything mentioned will make you a great candidate. Having knowledge about the qualities of a doctor were extremely helpful here as I was able bring them in when appropriate to enhance the P.S.

Conclusion

As a conclusion, there isn’t much else I think I feel I could have improved upon. The quality of your conclusion does depend to a certain degree on the rest of your personal statement, as it’s a summary of everything discussed. As a way to make it more unique, I could have summarised how this application was different to my first and why this year will be a better year (…which it was). However, it may also not have been the best time to mention previous failures, no matter how much I have learnt from them. The conclusion should focus on the best aspects of yourself as an applicant!

Final Thoughts

Overall

When writing this personal statement, I was told to reflect on every experience by bringing in an activity I have done which shows the same qualities I had seen whilst shadowing a doctor/HCP. I had done that effectively by redrafting until myself and my tutor were satisfied. Making use of STARR(situation, task, action and reflection) was what I found the most beneficial thing in writing a P.S. Overall, I believe the biggest strength of this personal statement is the genuine personality that I present to the reader, as well as all the knowledge and experience connected to that. 

Overall

There are a few issues that I have with this personal statement. Firstly, I believe I should have formatted it a bit better, mainly in terms of paragraphs. While each section is very well defined, the length of the paragraphs may be off-putting to some readers. Another point that links to this is that I could have used less words when describing each experience, as many of these sections are drawn out. By reducing the size of each section, I could not only have discussed more experiences and abilities, but I could have also split the personal statement into smaller paragraphs much easier. 

Lastly, my discussion of extracurricular activities was very limited. You don’t need to discuss everything you do outside of work in great detail, but it adds a bit more of a personal touch to discuss one or two things you’re passionate about and how they link to you application. 

So there you have it! This personal statement helped Abdullah get a place at the University of Plymouth! Everyone has different experiences and abilities, so you may not be able to relate to everything that was said in this personal statement. However, the information and advice provided by Abdullah is universal and will help any applicant write a better personal statement! 

Be sure to check out more Medicine Personal Statement Analyses to see advice from all different kinds of applicants, including Ali Abdaal himself! Or if you want to get started on your own statement, check out 6med’s Medicine Mastery Bundle for all the support and resources you’ll ever need, covering all of your application.

More Medicine Personal Statement Examples & Inspiration

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