personal statement postgraduate medicine

Successful Graduate Entry Medicine Personal Statement Example (St George’s, Swansea, Nottingham)

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My success at getting into Graduate Entry Medicine was partly thanks to my personal statement. Of all the universities I applied to, I got into the one I wanted to go to the most!

I received invites to interview at St George’s, University of London, Swansea University Medical School and University of Nottingham Medical School.

Check out my blog post 7 Steps to a Successful Personal Statement for Graduate Entry Medicine for further guidance and my Ultimate Medicine Personal Statement Checklist (free download) .

One last thing:  DO NOT COPY ANY PART OF MY OR ANYONE ELSE’S PERSONAL STATEMENT . Nowadays, clever software will identify any similarities and you will be caught out. Also, it’s just not ethical and the best way to make your personal statement stand out is to make it unique to you anyway!

From a young age I have had a passion and aptitude for medical science. I acquired a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Sciences and I am now completing a Master’s in biomedical engineering. Subsequent to volunteering in multiple healthcare environments and shadowing multiple doctors I am now certain that medicine as a career is the correct choice for me.

I highly value the privilege of being able to support someone in their time of need. Over the past several years I have arranged four medical work experience programmes: shadowing radiologists, a general practitioner and two medical teams for elite rugby players. When I had the opportunity to sit in on the consultations of a general practitioner I observed that despite the time pressure he was under he was patient and genuinely warm towards all his patients. This touched me and impressed upon me the more empathetic aspects of being a doctor. Having a career to which empathy is central greatly appeals to me. Since June 2015 I have volunteered at a support helpline and I have further grasped that having even several minutes to talk to a non-judgemental and impartial listener can make a huge difference to someone’s well-being. I recently volunteered weekly at a hospital facilitating fun activities for patients on wards. Through building relationships with patients I have seen first-hand how lonely and restless patients can become and how chatting with someone familiar can improve their day.  To be able to build positive relationships with others daily also draws me to the medical profession.

I am compelled to pursue a vocation in which lifelong learning of medical science and use of scientific methods are key. For example, in the third year of my Bachelor’s degree I wrote a dissertation that explored the possible mechanisms that influence musculoskeletal performance as a result of a genetic polymorphism. Despite the amount of data I analysed it was not possible to deduce the exact biomechanisms at work as a result of this single genetic element. It showed me how much there is still to learn about the human body. I am now studying biomedical engineering for a Master’s in order to learn more about the body as well as the engineering of cutting-edge medical technology.

Through reading books in my spare time I have developed a keen interest in medical ethics. For instance, I found The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot a very thought-provoking book in its treatment of the ethics of medical research and the duties doctors have towards their patients. The upsetting experience of Henrietta Lacks’ family as they tried to understand what happened to her cells following her death echoed to me the importance of clear and honest communication with patients. The latter is an art I am excited to develop further as a physician.

As a doctor I realise that it will be essential to be an excellent leader and team player.  Whilst studying my bachelor’s degree I was elected captain of the women’s rugby club and was awarded Captain of the Year and Sports Personality of the Year by my students’ union for outstanding organisation and leadership. I learnt that teamwork is paramount for maximal success, for example working collaboratively within the rugby club’s committee to achieve a national team of the year award. I found undertaking my degree, being captain of a sports team and volunteering in other roles all in my second year challenging at times however I have gained huge confidence in my ability to cope under stress and to balance my academic and extracurricular duties.

While the life of a doctor will be a challenging one, I feel I have what it takes to be a successful doctor. I have an enthusiasm for science as well as other peoples’ well-being. My work experience with doctors has shown me the realities of such a career. I am a hard worker with an open and enquiring mind and medicine is the most stimulating career I could hope for as well as being one for which I feel ideally suited.

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Medicine: Anatomy of a Personal Statement

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Below is a personal statement from a recent applicant for A100 Medicine at Oxford. It is not perfect and it may not be suited to every medical school. There is no single template for success in terms of an application to Oxford. Other styles can be equally effective: we encourage individuality and diversity in our students. This statement is however a good example for an Oxford application because it helps us see that the applicant is attempting to match our selection criteria .

An applicant's personal statement is likely to be discussed by tutors during interview.

A well-written statement will not in isolation gain you an interview or a place. It forms one part of an application from a gifted applicant that can be considered alongside other information - academic record, BMAT score, school reference, interview performance - in the selection process at Oxford.

Statement & comments

Choosing to study medicine is not a decision I have taken lightly. It isn't a career I have wanted to do since a particularly young age, nor did a life changing event prompt my choice. I have thought very long and hard before deciding to apply.

At first glance, this might seem like a down-beat opening paragraph. Although you may think that an arresting opening statement will impress, admissions tutors may be sceptical of exaggerated descriptions of a revelatory moment or lifelong desire to become a doctor. This introduction shows honesty and a degree of introspection. Throughout the statement, the applicant works hard to show that they have a realistic view of medicine. You won't prove that you have the motivation for medicine by simply saying that you do: it is what you have done to inform yourself about the career - and the views that you have formed - that will convince us that you really know what being a doctor is like and that this is what you want to do.

Various periods of work experience have taught me much about the career. A local hospital placement gave me the opportunity to visit A&E, Radiology and Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

You won't prove that you have the motivation for medicine by simply saying that you do.

Whilst fleeting, these visits to the departments highlighted the variety and diversity of the fascinating specialities medicine encompasses. A placement shadowing a clinic staff was hugely informative regarding daily life as a doctor. During the day I sat in on consultations ranging from routine post natal checkups to discussions of treatment for young people with diabetes and overactive thyroid glands.

This student describes their experiences of healthcare that have helped them decide that they want to study and practise medicine. We understand that opportunities to obtain experience vary, so you won't be judged on what you've done: we want to know what you learned from doing it. The description of the placements here isn't over-exaggerated, and the applicant takes care to explain what they have seen and done and the insight each opportunity afforded them. The relatively detailed account of the infant's check-up conveys the impression of engagement during the placement and suggests an intellectual curiosity to understand the infant's condition and its treatment. The applicant also takes care to point out an example of the importance of good communication skills and argues how their sales position has helped them develop such skills.

Throughout my time there the doctor's genuine interest in his cases and unfaltering motivation highlighted to me the privilege of having such a stimulating profession. This, together with the ever advancing nature of a career in medicine, was brought to the fore by an infant who was having a check up as a result of her being put on an ECMO machine after her birth with Meconium Aspiration Syndrome. The ease with which the doctor broached and dealt with sensitive subject matter also emphasised the importance of a warm, approachable manner and an ability to communicate to a person on their level of understanding. I believe I have honed these skills and gained invaluable experience of the eccentricities of the general public myself in my job as a salesperson.

It is important to convey an impression of engagement and intellectual curiosity when talking about any work experience/placement/voluntary work.

Since February of this year I have volunteered in a care home for a couple of hours each week. I assist with serving meals to the residents as well as feeding one of the more infirm ladies. My time there has brought to my attention the more unpleasant side of medicine and has proved by far the most useful work experience I have had; preparing me for the stark realities of physical ageing and senility. In spite of this, I genuinely enjoy my time there; giving residents, some of whom go months without visitors, 10 minutes of my time to chat can be very rewarding in the obvious enjoyment they get from it. The experience has shown me very clearly the importance of caring for the emotional as well as the physical needs of patients.

This paragraph reaffirms the applicant's motivation for medicine. They admit that working in a nursing home is not glamorous but explain how rewarding it has been. There is evidence of analytical skills here and there is no doubt that the applicant has become well-informed about the realities of healthcare. Empathy comes across as well, with the applicant recognising that a brief interaction can have such a positive effect on the overlooked residents of the home.

Outside of my lessons I enjoy orienteering with a local club. As part of an expedition I took part in, we walked 80km over 4 days in torrential rain. The challenging conditions demanded teamwork and trust to maintain morale and perform effectively as a group; as well as calm rational thought in stressful situations. Also, through this activity and the people I met, I have become a member of the SJA which has enabled me to gain first aid qualifications and go out on duties.

Although the bulk of a personal statement should be academic-related, it is important to show a life outside of studying. The involvement in a club or association demonstrates wider spare time interests, and the description of the challenging walking expedition provides evidence that the student can work with others and can cope in an arduous situation, obliquely suggesting that they might have the capacity for sustained and intense work . The student also shows that they understand that taking time out to relax and manage any stress is important, and conveys the impression of good time management. The passing reference to the drama group reinforces the impression that this applicant is a team-player. It is useful to describe sporting or musical interests although, as, this applicant shows, these non-academic interests don't need to be particularly high-powered ones.

Other activities I enjoy include drama - I was a member of a local group for 6 years - cycling and playing the guitar and piano which allow me to relax.

Non-academic interests don't need to be particularly high-powered.

I know that medicine is not a "9 to 5" job and is by no means the glamorous source of easy money it is often perceived to be. I understand the hours are long and potentially antisocial and that the career can be physically exhausting and emotionally draining. It is apparent that becoming a medic will involve inherent sacrifice.

However medicine is also a deeply gratifying and fascinating career path. I want to be a medic because my passion and aptitude is foremost scientific and to me 5 or 6 years more of formal education followed by a lifetime of further learning sounds like a stimulating career option and, thankfully, a far cry from the monotony some jobs pose. Nevertheless, as an intrinsically social person, I would relish a career requiring the development of strong empathic relationships with patients too. Crucially, I know I have the enthusiasm, capacity for hard work and the open and enquiring mind needed to succeed in such a fulfilling vocation.

In the concluding paragraphs, the statement is emphasising that, although aware of the negative aspects associated with the practice of medicine, fact-finding placements have given the applicant the insight and motivation to be certain that it is the right career for them. The applicant ends by summarising the key personal attributes that they believe make them well-suited to medicine.

Verdict and advice for improvement

Of course, there is room for improvement with this statement. No reference is made to the scientific subjects that are being studied at school or to particular modules that the applicant has found particularly exciting: this could have helped convey enthusiasm and curiosity in science. Although the applicant asserts that they have an 'open and enquiring mind', there is no description of any extracurricular project or reading that the applicant might have undertaken, perhaps to help them understand a highly-charged ethical issue.

Despite those omissions, this is an effective personal statement. It is well constructed, connects with the reader, and the material flows in a logical sequence. It further conveys the impression that the applicant has done the research and knows exactly what is in store: they are not applying with a naive view or because that is what is expected of them. Writing a statement along these lines would provide a good foundation for a competitive applicant and offers lots of material that can be discussed at an interview.

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• Shortlisting Process and Admissions Statistics
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Medicine Personal Statement

Your medicine personal statement is one of the most important elements of your medical school application. Competition for medical school is always fierce, and 2023 entry is set to be no different, therefore your personal statement will be key for distinguishing yourself from other applicants. It will be used in the decision making process by universities, when comparing candidates either prior to or following an interview , along with the result from your admission exam (if applicable) and your predicted grades. Therefore, you should see it as an opportunity to show universities more about you, your experiences and your motivation for applying.

How to write a personal statement for medicine

Your personal statement is a key opportunity to show your chosen universities your skills and experiences that make you a suitable candidate, and your ambitions for a career within medicine. You’ll find some guidance on what you should aim to include in your personal statement in the next section but it’ll also be useful to consider the following when preparing to write your personal statement:

1. The UCAS character limit

One of the biggest challenges when looking at areas that you need to cover is trying to include everything within the tight UCAS character limit. Remember, you only have 4,000 characters, which is roughly two sides of A4. Consider which elements are most important to you, and which qualities and experiences you want to demonstrate, as there may be things you have to sacrifice to avoid exceeding the character limit.

2. Your writing style

The quality of your writing is important within your personal statement, so consider your choice of language carefully and remember your audience and what you’re trying to convey. Equally, ensure that your writing is cohesive and flows well; so while you'll undoubtedly have a list of skills, experiences and information you want to include, you want to avoid it reading like a list.

3. Making your experiences relevant

Whether you’re discussing work experience you’ve undertaken or hobbies or clubs that you partake in, you should always focus on making them relevant to your future studies. Universities aren’t looking for a narrative of work experience that you’ve carried out, they’re interested in what you learnt as a result of the experience. Your personal statement should reflect on any work experience and demonstrate what skills and/or qualities you’ve developed which are required within the medical profession. Similarly with your hobbies or clubs, you should reflect on relevant skills and qualities that you have developed as a result of these.

4. How you will demonstrate your knowledge of working within the medical profession

As well as demonstrating your motivation for working within the medical profession, it’s also important to show that you have a realistic understanding of what this entails, which can be achieved by acknowledging the less attractive side of medicine. However, ensure that you put a positive spin on any negatives you present and allow your passion for medicine to come through. Linking to your work experience is a great way of doing this. For example, you could highlight challenges that you observed within medical practice, but focus on the positives that came from this: was it multidisciplinary team working, effective communication, or challenging individuals to continue to develop their skills and knowledge?

Medicine Personal Statement Structure

There isn’t a set personal statement template which you need to follow, however, there are some essential things which you should try to include. The UCAS website advises that university admissions tutors are looking for evidence of the following:

1. Your understanding of the subject area and the demands of the medical profession, as well as your motivation to study and fulfil the requirements of your future role.

This can be demonstrated in a number of ways:

• Relevant work experience and shadowing - remember to focus on what you learnt and the skills and qualities you developed as a result of the work experience, and only include concise descriptions of what tasks you did, and only when relevant.
• Reference to additional reading around key issues, topics and the latest research - only include things you will be confident discussing at your interview, should it be referred to.
• Membership of relevant societies / clubs - don’t simply list these, make meaningful links between the knowledge, skills and qualities you have developed through your participation in these.

2. Your interests outside of your academic study.

For example, sports, music, volunteering. Again, remember to use these to demonstrate your skills and qualities that will make you a suitable candidate for medical school.

3. Your ability to work individually and as a member of a team.

Give examples of occasions when you’ve demonstrated that you can work effectively within a team and as an individual. You may also want to include examples of situations where you’ve led a group, if you have experience of this.

4. Your personal qualities which make you suitable for a career in medicine.

Try to provide examples which demonstrate your personal qualities which make you a suitable candidate for medical school, for example your empathy, your resilience, your drive, etc., by linking to your work experience, your hobbies and even your academic studies.

5. Your analytical and critical thinking skills demonstrated through a well written personal statement.

The most effective way to demonstrate your skills is by providing examples, using your experiences to show that you process the required analytical and critical thinking skills to make you a suitable candidate.

Excellent Medicine Personal Statement Tips

Writing your personal statement can seem daunting; keep it simple with the following useful tips:

1. Plan what you want to include

Using the information above to help you, create a plan of what you want to include, whether that’s using a mind map, lists or any other way which works for you, to ensure you know which experiences, skills and qualities you want to share before starting your personal statement.

2. Draft, draft and draft again

Don’t worry about making your personal statement perfect the first time around (or keeping within the character limit for that matter). Once you’ve written everything you want to include you can begin rewording sentences, moving sections around and editing parts which are less significant so you can get within the character limit.

3. Give yourself lots of time

It's simple but so important. All those drafts take time, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to write. You don’t want your personal statement to appear rushed or to miss important information that will help your application.

4. Draw on trusted family members, friends or teachers to check over your statement

Getting a second opinion is useful for picking up errors you might have missed or showing you where you can sell yourself more. Just be careful to avoid taking on board too many opinions, as you want you to make sure it’s your voice which comes through.

5. Read it aloud

It’s so basic but it makes spotting punctuation and grammatical errors easier. It’ll also help to ensure that it flows and reads well, which admissions tutors will be looking for.

How to Start a Medicine Personal Statement

Often the most difficult part with any written piece is getting started; there is generally a focus on ensuring that your first paragraph captivates your reader and makes them want to read more, which can create a stumbling block when you begin writing. A useful tactic to help you to avoid staring at a blank page for hours, is to ignore your opening altogether, and to begin as if you’re picking it up after an introductory sentence or two. Once you’ve written your first draft you’ll find it easier to draw out interesting points and to rework them to create an opening statement.

It’s important within your opening paragraph to show your passion and your reasons for wanting to study medicine; the difficulty is trying to avoid cliches, when it’s highly likely that your reasons for wanting to study medicine are similar to many students who have come before you. Sharing your interests which are related to medicine, or your personal experiences (your work experience, volunteering, etc.) which have developed your passion, is an effective way to achieve this in an individual way. Don’t get fixated on trying to stand out, focus on giving an honest account of why you want to study medicine and your interests and experiences which have helped you to decide this, and avoid using unrealistic or exaggerated reasons or experiences.

Remember, while your opening section is important, it is also just one part of your overall statement; make sure that it adds to your personal statement (remember that tight character limit) and isn’t just there to grab attention.

Graduate Entry Medicine Personal Statement

If you’re applying for the graduate entry route, not only will the UCAS rules be the same for your personal statement (for example the character limit, deadline, etc.), but what you should aim to include will also remain the same. However, university admission tutors will have higher expectations for graduate entry applicants’ skills, competencies and experiences, given that you have undertaken a degree previously and likely have more experience; sharing relevant work experience, as well as any academic achievements or other accomplishments which are relevant, will allow you to demonstrate that you meet these expectations.

Even if your current or previous employment is not health related, it may still be relevant to your application, if you're able to demonstrate the transferable skills which will be useful for a career in medicine. Where possible, provide examples of additional work experience within medical or care settings, if your employment isn’t health related, to demonstrate your commitment to studying medicine and your development of skills to support this. Remember to limit your descriptions of your work experience, to include only what is necessary, and focus on reflecting on your experiences and the skills and qualities you have developed as a result of them.

As with other routes into medicine, you’ll be expected to demonstrate why you want to study and your passion for a future career in medicine. Admission tutors will also be assessing if you have the required attributes for a career in medicine and a realistic view of what it entails. Again, reflecting on your previous work experiences, either voluntary or paid, as well as your previous degree, if it’s relevant, will allow you to demonstrate that you meet these requirements.

You can find more guidance on entry requirements, funding and admissions exams in our Graduate Entry Medicine blog .

A Good Medicine Personal Statement

Finally, remember that a good medical personal statement will look completely different depending on the candidate. Focus on sharing your unique experiences, skills and qualities, and your personal ambitions and passion for a career in medicine. That’s what admission tutors want to see and that’s what will make you stand out as an individual.

For more personal statement tips visit the UCAS ‘How to write your undergraduate personal statement’ . You can also find support with all aspects of your medical school application and interview in our dedicated ‘Applying to medical school’ section.

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Graduate Medicine Personal Statement Example – Barts Medical School

Home » Application Guide » Graduate Medicine Personal Statement Example – Barts Medical School

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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 Maisa, who studies Graduate Medicine at the Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Maisa applied to study medicine in the 2021 cycle after completing her undergraduate degree in pharmacology. She received an offer from Barts Medical School which she accepted.

Let’s read the personal statement that got her a place at Barts or skip straight to her feedback to learn what made her 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 .

Barts Medical School Graduate Medicine Personal Statement Example

Whole personal statement.

I first wanted to study medicine mainly because I was intrigued by the functions of the human body. That changed when my grandfather became critically ill, with the doctors doing everything possible to recover one of the most important people I know. I realised there is not a more personally meaningful career for me, apart from medicine.

Studying pharmacology at university underpinned the scientific basis for the use of drugs in medical practice whilst familiarising me with the commitment, resilience and hard work required to study medicine. Being used to the complexity of laboratory experiments and anatomy sessions where I was team leader strengthened my critical and scientific analysis, my leadership skills and the ability to manage high workloads under pressure. I hope to emulate these skills into my third-year research project exploring diabetes-related alterations in the enteric nerve function in the stomach wall. I attended DermSchool, to learn about skin cancers, and I continue to further my knowledge of medicine by reading BMJ articles.  

Three months shadowing healthcare professionals at Lister Hospital’s nephrology ward showed me the value of individual skills involved in the NHS and the importance of a multidisciplinary team. I appreciated the leadership and proactive communication shown by doctors when discussing specific cases with other clinical team members during ward rounds to provide the best patient care. I saw patients entrusting doctors, especially during intimate and sensitive examinations, highlighting the level of responsibility and empathy that physicians have.

I volunteered at Garden House Hospice weekly, seeing the deterioration of patients’ health during end-of-life care and the regular occurrence of patient deaths. The doctors alleviated this strain compassionately by providing holistic patient care that included understanding the patients’ values, goals, religious beliefs and appreciating their mental health concerns. Some challenges of medicine were put into perspective when the doctors mentioned they sometimes felt helpless at the inability to cure patients and the difficulty of emotionally dealing with patient deaths.

I attended a Leukaemia UK support group where patients discussed their experience with leukaemia, giving me a humbling insight into how crucial it is to be empathetic and compassionate in healthcare. I spoke to a patient who survived chronic myeloid leukaemia in a way so that she felt at ease in sharing her experience with me. Hereon, I understood the impact that active listening can have on someone and why it is one of the core interpersonal skills for effective doctor-patient communication. I also learnt how important it is to support patients not just during their treatment but through their journey to hopeful recovery.

Through my role as President of the Medical Society, I addressed the latest medical research and the endless career opportunities in medicine by holding interactive presentations and arranging guest speakers to give talks. My role as a mathematics leader where I taught mathematics to young children developed my patience and problem-solving skills if they struggled to understand a concept by creating an action plan to overcome that challenge. My enthusiasm for keeping fit led me to become a sports leader where I motivated and played sports with young children helping me maintain a healthy work-life balance as it kept me relaxed yet disciplined. My leadership roles gave me great pride in encouraging and supporting large teams. I love keeping fit by playing tennis and attending spin classes. I fundraised for charities such as Macmillan Cancer Support and Leukaemia UK by baking – a favourite hobby of mine.

A doctor’s role is intellectually challenging instead of glamourous. I believe I have the capacity to succeed in this occupation that demands sacrifice, diligence and a life-long commitment to learning.

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Barts Medical School Graduate Medicine Personal Statement Example Analysis

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

INTRODUCTION

Introduction

My introduction was very straight to the point because it included the reasons I wanted to study medicine. Also, it gave a glimpse into how I developed as a person because my reasons for studying medicine went evolved beyond a personal interest through a life-changing event. Of course, not everyone is going to have an experience like this, but the main advice I would give here is to think about exactly why you want to study medicine and express that to the reader in an honest way.  

I think it would have been good if I listed my reasons for wanting to study medicine more briefly as this would have reduced the word count and allowed me to discuss my other achievements in the rest of the personal statement. While I discuss a very personal reason for wanting to enter the field, this opening doesn’t do much to prove that I am actually a viable candidate. Wanting can only get you so far in a personal statement, you also need to provide evidence of your skills and knowledge. Saying that, it’s also important not to overstuff your opening, so everything needs to be brief and simple.  

Paragraph 1

This paragraph is very specific to graduate medicine because it solely focused on my undergraduate degree, which is of course something that many medicine applicants reading this won’t have achieved yet. However, the writing techniques here are transferable to any kind of medical student.  

For every achievement mentioned, I explained the skills that I had learnt, how it had benefitted me and how I will be able to translate those skills when I study at medical school. This checks all the necessary boxes for justifying the inclusion of this discussion in my personal statement.  

• Name an achievement or experience
• Reflect on what was learnt from said experience
• Explain how it will be relevant and helpful in your studies  

This applies to anything from work experience to extra-curricular activities, although it isn’t always necessary to go into as much detail as I have for less relevant activities. You’ll see later on that not everything you discuss has to directly benefit your medical abilities.

I feel that I could have broadened this paragraph by including other academic achievements. For example, I could have looked further into the essays that I have written (because it is a skill that is tested thoroughly in medical school) and perhaps my A-Level experience. The word count is something to consider here, but these were unique experiences that ought me different lessons. It is also sometimes a good idea to broaden the timeline that your personal statement covers, as discussing things from your earlier life is a good way to show your true dedication to the subject, as opposed to being someone who had hasn’t been involved for as long.  

Paragraph 2

This paragraph focused more on my clinical work experience and gave an insight into the skills that I had learnt there. I talked about the constructive skills that one develops in a clinical environment (e.g. communicating effectively ) as well as the emotional skills (e.g. listening and empathising ). These are all incredibly relevant skills that any medical student will need to develop, so displaying my understanding of them at this stage in my progression shows that I had learnt a lot during my undergraduate degree.

In this paragraph, I focused much more on the things I saw but did not really discuss the applicable skills I had learnt during this time. I discussed things I had learnt about the industry, but I did not go into any depth about how I have used these lessons to develop as a professional or how these lessons would help me in medical school. I do reflect here, but I just didn’t go far enough into it.  

Paragraph 3

Voluntary work is always a great thing to discuss in a personal statement, as it combines the professional experience of a work placement with the display of empathy and selflessness that demonstrates the qualities of a good doctor . Another good thing here is that I talked about the challenges in medicine, e.g. doctors struggling to cope with their patients passing away. I believe that this shows that I have a realistic perspective of working as a doctor and that not all lives can be saved. At the same time, I’m not overly negative about it and still focus on how I’ve learnt to be better from all of this.  

Once again, my reflection on this experience was not particularly deep and did not explain how these experiences have made me a better applicant beyond demonstrating an understanding of the realities doctors face. It’s one thing to understand these challenges but it’s much more impressive to demonstrate that you could handle them yourself, or at least be prepared to (bearing in mind that almost no medical student would actually be skilled enough to handle these situations in a truly professional manner, that’s why we’re going to university to learn!).  

The work experience that I discussed in the last two paragraphs was in-person. However, I submitted my personal statement when most medical work experience for students was online. I did an online GP work experience from Brighton and Sussex Medical School, so I really should have spoken about that as well. Talking about it and contrasting it with my in-person clinical work experience would have been a good take, especially as it would have been extremely relevant to the current climate of the industry. Having a firm understanding of current events is important, otherwise, you will seem ignorant or unable to adapt to change.

Paragraph 4

This paragraph focused on the challenges of medicine as I discussed my experience taking part in a leukaemia support group where patients described their experience living with cancer. I talked about the more emotional skills that I developed in this meeting, e.g. active listening – which are very crucial, especially when doctors have to break distressing news to patients and their loved ones. This is an improvement on the previous paragraph as I am now actively discussing relevant skills that would be desirable for the university.  

Although I feel that this paragraph described the challenges of medicine quite well, I think it would have been better to link it with the challenging experiences that were also present in the hospice and hospital environments in that I volunteered in. I had already done the work experience, so all I needed to do was briefly mention it and discuss the comparisons between them. As I said before, not everything needs to be fully explored with the limited word count you’re working under, but even a quick mention of something can add value to your statement.  

Paragraph 5

As the final major paragraphs of my statement, it focuses on my extra-curricular achievements . I feel that this works well because I was able to give a wide variety of clubs and leadership positions that I was involved in – which shows that I like to keep myself busy and have a life outside of medicine. Universities are looking for well-rounded applicants who can provide more value to the university than just their academics. University life covers a wide variety of life experiences, not just your studies, and the unis themselves pride themselves on having diverse and high-achieving societies and teams. Not to mention that showing your ability to unwind and do something you enjoy demonstrates your ability to manage your time and avoid burnout from your studies. Academics are by far the most important thing, but it always helps to go off that path a bit and explain your other abilities.

It’s good to discuss this stuff, but I do feel I went too far into it, to the point where it takes up too much of the word count. Extra-curricular activities are additional selling points that are secondary to your academics and work experience. They’re still important and can help set you apart, but the amount of space dedicated to it needs to be proportional to the rest of the statement. I had already mentioned that I should have gone further into my discussions in earlier paragraphs, so this should have been cut down in order to allocate words elsewhere.

Another key issue here is that the paragraph is very surface level at points, essentially listing off achievements with no reflection. Throughout the paragraph, I only just touch upon some of the transferable skills that these activities helped me develop, and nothing here links back to medicine in any explicit or meaningful way. It’s not a good idea to leave things like that to assumption, as the reader could assume that you don’t understand the applications of these skills to medicine yourself. Be very clear with your writing and explain exactly why you believe each achievement is relevant and helpful to your application.

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The conclusion is purposely short and snappy. I believe it gives a lasting impression to the reader while also tying together well with the introduction (which had a similar sentence structure). The conclusion is probably the least valuable thing in theory, as it brings nothing new to the discussion and doesn’t provide any deep insights. However, in terms of general writing, it’s incredibly important to ensure your statement flows well and is satisfying to read. Ending things with a statement that connects everything together and provides a final reason for why you should get an offer creates a definitive ending, which is always going to feel better than ending abruptly or anti-climatically.  

Although making my conclusion short and snappy was effective in giving the introduction a sense of ending, I feel that it sounded slightly rushed because I was running out of characters. It doesn’t tie everything discussed to as well as it could have, although I do believe it still functions perfectly fine as a satisfactory conclusion. It’s always possible to improve on your writing and optimise each and every word, but sometimes it’s not worth the time and effort to perfect every little thing when you could just write from the heart.  

Final Thoughts

The personal statement seemed cohesive and well-rounded because I made sure that each of the paragraphs linked well with the others. I included the key skills that I learnt from my volunteering experience, leadership positions and clubs and how they can be transferred in medical school and in a professional environment. This was a lot to pack in and I believe I managed it very well, with no one section feeling particularly weak or underdeveloped. I reflect on my experiences for the most part and demonstrate a wide array of skills and knowledge that would be highly desirable for the university. It’s all about displaying yourself in the best light while also being honest, which I believe I handled well.  

With so much stuff to discuss in a relatively small amount of space, some areas do feel a bit rushed. This issue is highlighted best in my extra-circular section, which simultaneously felt rushed and drawn out at the same time. It feels rushed because I briefly touch upon each topic without providing much analysis or reflection, but it’s drawn out because I discuss so many things without giving much justification for doing so. This is the longest paragraph in the statement when it really should have been, and it impacts the rest of the statement as the limited words available makes each discussion less in-depth than it should have been.   To improve this, I would ensure that I take into consideration the word/character count and trim down the final paragraph in order to better distribute the available words and provide more meaningful discussions of my experiences.

So there you have it! This personal statement helped Maisa get a place at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry!

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 Maisa 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 Personal Statement Bundle for all the support and resources you’ll ever need! If you want full support on every part of your application and a guaranteed place at med school, the Complete Bundle will be perfect for you.  

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Postgraduate personal statement.

A postgraduate personal statement is one of the most important steps to consider when applying for a masters course  or applying for a PhD . 

Writing a postgraduate personal statement is a standard part of the admissions and entry requirements process. Your personal statement and your references are the two main sources of information in your postgraduate application, and the personal statement is the one you have control over. 

So, how do you write a postgraduate personal statement that stands out?

How to write a postgraduate personal statement

Follow this process to write the perfect personal statement. 

Check the course criteria

Firstly, you’ll need to check the course criteria. It is important that you become familiar with what the program involves, as well as its entry requirements, and the kind of skills that will be required from you in order to gain a place on the course.

This will provide you with key information to cover in your postgraduate personal statement, and give you an idea of the kind of student that the university accepts on that particular course.

Key information that will help you write your postgraduate personal statement includes:

Course modules - Are there any specific course modules that will play to your strengths? Mention how you can bring knowledge, passion and discussion to these particular areas of the course in your masters personal statement, and relate this to your previous experience at undergraduate level. 

Teaching and assessment style - Does the course specify particular teaching or assessment styles? Show the university that you are well suited to those styles. For example, if the course uses group presentation assessments, mention your previous experience with this during undergraduate study.

Key skills - Do the course details specify any desired skills or requirements from students? Tailor your personal statement to demonstrate your ability in these skills. 

Entry requirements - Most masters and postgraduate courses will specify entry requirements. This usually relates to the grade, or predicted grade, you have at undergraduate level. It is a good idea to mention this in your postgraduate personal statement when applying for a course. 

Outline your skills and experience

The next step is to outline your skills, knowledge and experience. You can do this by drafting out a rough mind map of the skills that you think would be relevant to your chosen postgraduate course. 

This will also help demonstrate your passion for the subject, and give the university a strong impression of why you want to study that particular course.

When including these skills in your statement, mention your intention to develop your skills at postgraduate level . This will help reflect your intentions to engage with the course content and thrive in an academic setting. 

Answer key admission questions

The easiest way to start writing a postgraduate personal statement is to make a plan. Work out what sort of things the university wants to know about you, and then answer those questions. Good questions to look at include:

Why do you want to study this particular course?

Why do you want to study at this particular university?

What part of the course in particular appeals to you? e.g. certain modules or work opportunities.

What previous experience do you have in the area you are applying to study?

What skills do you have that’ll lend themselves to postgraduate study? e.g. if you apply for a research masters , what did you learn from doing a dissertation?

What career path or further study route would you like to take after your postgraduate study?

Write with a positive tone

As well as thinking about what to write in your postgraduate personal statement, it’s just as important to consider how to write it.

Your postgraduate or masters personal statement should be received with a positive tone, demonstrating your passion and drive to the reader. Create a positive sentiment using confident language. 

Here’s an overview of action verbs to include in your personal statement:

Established

Write in an active voice to demonstrate your active participation in projects.

What do you mean by active voice?

Take a look at the two examples below:

Active voice: I developed key interpersonal skills through group work. 

Passive voice: Key interpersonal skills were developed through group work.

Add personality

This doesn’t mean you need to write something that no-one has ever read before, but that you need to make sure some of your personality comes across in your statement. 

Did you get into philosophy thanks to a certain work of fiction? Mention it (briefly). Did a particular incident doing undergrad biology make you want to study medicine ? Write it down! Remember, whilst there’s a set amount of things you need to include (like answering the questions above); don’t restrict your personal template to a template you find online if you see opportunities to make your writing stand out.

Tailor to individual universities

Remember that a postgraduate personal statement is different to an undergraduate statement as you can tailor it to each individual university. You shouldn’t send out the same masters personal statement to each university. 

There are two good ways to do this – either write one for each university, or write a basic template, and adjust it to focus on each university you apply for.

Create your first draft

Once you have all of your thoughts and key points together, it’s time to write the first draft of your masters personal statement. Don’t worry about perfecting it at this point. The aim of a first draft is to revisit it later on and identify any areas that need improvement.

How long should a postgraduate personal statement be?

A postgraduate personal statement should have a word count of around 500 words, or one side of A4 . Some universities will specify personal statement word count requirements in the application details, and some will use online submission forms with set character limits. 

It is important that you adhere to this and make sure that your postgraduate personal statement is the ideal length. This will show that you can interpret and deliver a brief. Some universities require much more than the standard personal statement length, such as the University of Oxford , so make sure you check!

How do you start a postgraduate personal statement?

Starting your personal statement can be the hardest part of writing your first draft. It is best to keep your opening statement simple . University admissions will have to read through a lot of applications, so it’s helpful to get to the point and demonstrate your interest in the course from the beginning.

Here are some top tips for writing your personal statement intro:

Avoid clichés. Admission staff will have read these a thousand times. Cliche openings can include sentences like “For as long as I remember…”, or “I have always wanted to be a…”

Show your passion for the topic and explain the reasons you want to study that course

Why are you excited about studying that course? Be specific.

Don't always start at the beginning. Try writing your introduction as the last step in the writing process.

Proofread and edit your statement

Finally (and the most important part of all!), proofread your personal statement. Take a few days away from it, and then go back and read it again. 

After you’ve edited it, find someone else to take a look too. Ideally, if you can find a tutor willing to help, they’re your best bet. If not, a friend already on a postgraduate course should have an idea of how to write a postgraduate personal statement successfully.

Once you’ve done all of this, your statement should be ready. Take a deep breath, upload the file (or put it along with your printed copy), and finish the rest of your application. 

Make sure you keep a copy on file, just in case you need to refer to it later!

Postgraduate personal statement tips

Another important thing to remember when writing your postgraduate personal statement is to be 100% honest and true - don’t just make things up ! 

In the same way that you should NEVER lie on your postgraduate CV , you shouldn’t do this on your postgraduate personal statement either. It’s not just important to make sure you don’t make things up about yourself – make sure anything you say about the university and the postgraduate course you’re applying to has been thoroughly researched. 

After all, the university is definitely the expert on what it offers, and the admissions office will certainly know if you’re making it up.

Make sure you’re memorable

Of course, there are also ways to help your postgraduate personal statement get noticed beyond what you actually write, and that’s to make yourself memorable in other ways . 

Name-dropping is probably not the solution here, but dropping in references to subjects you know their department specialises in is definitely worthwhile. Just make sure you know what you’re talking about and haven’t just picked something at random!

Fill in the gaps

But what if you’ve got some weak spot that comes up? Perhaps you did worse than expected on a certain module, or you have an unexplained gap in between leaving university and applying for further study? You simply need to own it. 

The university might want to know about these things, and the best thing you can do is explain it, and put a positive spin on it. Did you get worse results than expected because you were ill? Say as much – and then mention how much extra reading you’ve done since, and how much you’re looking forward to improving in that area!

The university will understand this and appreciate your additional efforts in other areas.

Keep it concise

A personal statement shouldn't be too long, there'll be many other personal statements that need to be read and considered, so you should ensure you make your points in a concise and engaging fashion.

Start early

This advice may be common sense but it is crucial. By starting early you will reduce the stress of writing a personal statement by a long way. This will give you plenty of time to get a head start and reduce your stress when applying for a masters or other course.

Use consistent structure

Keep your masters personal statement structure clear and consistent. If the overall structure and layout of your personal statement is poor, you will drastically decrease your chances of getting an offer. 

You can easily solve the problem of poor layout by following this simple check-list:

Ensure all margins are the same

Ensure the font is the same throughout

Ensure the size of the font is the same throughout (except subheadings)

Ensure spacing is the same throughout

You will need to plan the structure of your statement and make sure that it flows – with the best way of checking this being to read your personal statement out loud a number of times. This will enable you to weed out any sentences or words that just don't quite fit.

Things to avoid in your postgrad personal statement

So far in this article we’ve looked at how to write your postgraduate personal statement, but what about the things that you should avoid? Here’s our rundown of the top eight postgraduate personal statement no-nos!

• Misinformation & exaggeration  – stick to the facts and don't lie, sounds fairly straightforward, right? But it's all too easy to write what you would like to have done rather than what you actually have done. Even easier than a little misinformation, is a little exaggeration. Stretching work experience to cover a gap or inflating your responsibility can get you caught out. Ultimately exaggerating or making up information in your personal statement can end up in you losing your place on the course or your funding – so stick to the truth.
• Typos – obviously, you need to proofread your personal statement and not just for the information you've contained in it. Don't rely on spell checkers to get it right, read through it a few times just for errors and get someone you trust to do the same as sometimes you can read and re-read something and not spot a small error. Small typos could have a big impact on the admissions panel.
• Passionless personal statement – try to convey your passion for your postgraduate subject through your personal statement, however be careful as you don't want to overdo it and come across as being insincere. It's a difficult balance, but an important one. Again, get someone you trust or who has experience of the course you're applying for to give your personal statement a read through and give you their honest opinion.
• Slang words – keep your language formal and avoid slang words as well as impenetrable technical language. You've already successfully applied for an undergraduate degree and you've probably also successfully applied for a job, so you should understand what clear language to use. Some courses, like law or medicine, might require more formal language than some of the arts, but check with trusted colleagues or those who've already completed the course. Which leads us onto…
• Ignoring feedback – if you ask someone to read through your personal statement, then you should probably take the time to listen to what they really think about it. If you disagree with them remember it is your personal statement and it is you who will be doing the course you're applying for, but, do listen to the advice in the first instance.
• Repetition – you'll want to include a short introduction and a short conclusion, but avoid repeating yourself in the main body of your personal statement. You will only need to explain a point once – again it is always useful to get someone else to read through to check you're not repeating yourself at any point.
• Plagiarism – unless you completed your undergraduate degree a long time ago, then you should know that almost everything you submit will be run through plagiarism software. Many universities and the system used in the UK for undergraduate applications use plagiarism software on personal statements already. Stay away from copying and pasting anything, even if you plan to rewrite it, as it is easy to forget or not notice the plagiarised sections once you've finished.
• Bitterness & negativity – avoid complaining about any past experiences you’ve had, especially educational ones, you will never know where the person reviewing your application has worked or studied before. Negativity reflects badly on you, and you should try instead to demonstrate any positive outcomes that you have had from a bad experience.

Masters personal statement examples

Personal statement example: psychology masters .

"I have always been fascinated by the human mind and its intricate workings, which is why I am excited to pursue a Masters in Psychology. My previous studies in psychology at undergraduate level have inspired my interests in this field, and I am now eager to take my understanding of the subject to the next level.

Areas that particularly interested me at undergraduate level include cognitive psychology and neuroscience. I am fascinated by the ways in which the brain processes information, and the impact this has on human behaviour. By studying a masters degree in psychology, I hope to further explore these areas and develop a deeper understanding of the subject.

Alongside my academic studies, I have volunteered for a local mental health support charity, where I gained experience in a practice-based setting. This experience helped me develop valuable insight into real-life applications of psychology, and has inspired me to pursue a career in this field. 

I am excited about the opportunity to study psychology in more depth, and am confident that I have the skills and motivation to succeed at masters level. I am committed to making a positive impact with my skills and knowledge, and believe that this course will provide me with the necessary tools to achieve this.”

Personal statement example: engineering masters

“As an ambitious and driven individual with a strong passion for engineering, I am excited to apply for the Master of Engineering program at XYZ University. My undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering provided me with a solid foundation in the field, and I am now eager to take my knowledge and skills to the next level.

Throughout my studies, I have had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through various internships and research projects. These experiences have not only confirmed my passion for engineering but also allowed me to develop important skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking.

I am particularly interested in the area of sustainable energy and am eager to explore this field further through the Master of Engineering program. I am confident that the program's emphasis on research and hands-on learning will provide me with the knowledge and skills necessary to make a positive impact in this field.

Furthermore, I believe that the diverse student body and faculty at XYZ University will provide a valuable learning environment and endless opportunities for personal and professional growth. I am excited to be a part of this community and contribute to the university's mission of advancing the field of engineering.

I am confident that the Master of Engineering program at XYZ University is the perfect next step in my academic and professional journey – and I am eager to begin this new chapter of my life.”

Personal statement example: linguistics masters

“Having always been fascinated by language, I am thrilled to apply for the Linguistics masters course at XYZ University. My undergraduate studies in English Language and Linguistics have given me a solid foundation of knowledge in this field, and I am now ready to delve deeper and gain a more comprehensive understanding of the intricacies of human language.

Throughout my undergraduate degree, I have been particularly interested in phonology and syntax, and have had the opportunity to conduct independent research in these fields of study. This experience further inspired my passion for linguistics and helped me develop important skills – such as analytical thinking and data analysis.

I am excited for the opportunity to continue developing my knowledge in these areas, as well as expand my understanding in other areas of linguistics. I am drawn to the program’s focus on computational linguistics, as this is not something that I have had the opportunity to explore at undergraduate level, despite being an area I find fascinating.

The diverse student body and renowned linguistics faculty at XYZ University will provide a valuable learning environment and promising opportunities for personal and professional development. I hope to be a part of this community and contribute to the faculty’s aims to advance the field of linguistics. 

I am confident that the program offers the perfect next step in my academic journey, and I am excited to begin this new chapter of my life.”

In conclusion, a personal statement is important to get right because it gives the university admissions panel their very first impression of you. Take your time, be proud of your skills and achievements. Your statement could make the difference between securing a spot and not, so make sure your application stands out from the crowd. 

Related articles

UCAS Postgraduate & Postgraduate Applications

Things To Avoid In Your Postgrad Personal Statement

Preparing For Your Postgraduate Application

How To Apply For A Masters

Entry Requirements For Postgraduate Students

How To Choose A Masters Degree

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UCAS personal statement for Graduate Entry to medicine

UCAS personal statements are used differently by each medical school. Some medical schools use personal statements after looking at pre-entry test results, others include them in their initial short-listing, either way, it is an important part of your application.

Key elements to include:

• Motivation for medicine – what makes medicine right for you?
• Approach to academic learning – what has helped you be successful during your first/previous degree/s?
• Relevant skills – how have you developed these, what do they say about you as a potential clinician? The skills can come from any aspect of your experience – they don’t have to be based on clinically-related experience
• Career aspirations – how does medicine fit with how you see your future?

How to write your personal statement

• Ensure you spend time reflecting on your skills and experiences. Learning from what has gone before and how you have done things is central to both learning on a medicine degree and continuing professional development as a clinician. You may want to ask other people what they feel are your strengths and when they have seen you using these strengths. Feedback from others can be useful to capture things we don’t yet know about ourselves.
• Always use examples from your own experience. If you are saying that you wish to study medicine to provide a service to humankind – explain where this motivation has come from, what other experiences have you had of ‘service’, how did you decide that medicine would be the right sort of ‘service’?
• Check your writing. If a sentence does not include something about your own experience, consider if it is really needed (or whether you can rewrite it to include experience).
• Check your writing for typing errors, spelling, and making sense. Get someone else to proof-read your personal statement for you (the Careers Service does not offer this service, ask a friend or relative who writes well).

The Medical Schools Council has devised skills and attributes of an ideal medical school candidate . You could use this list as a starting point to reflect on what examples highlight these skills for you.

Top tips: Medicmind personal statement

Examples of successful statements:

• University Compare: Example Medicine personal statements
• University of Oxford - Medicine: Anatomy of a personal statement
• 6Med: Medicine personal statement inspiration
• Aspiring Medics: Medicine personal statement
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Medicine Personal Statement Advice

Your UCAS application comprises your educational attainment info, a reference, and a personal statement. Together, this data helps provide a fuller picture to the universities on your list, and the personal statement is the aspect which you have most control over. It pays dividends, therefore, to produce the best possible medicine personal statement. Make a list of your strengths and achievements, and add to it whenever you gain something new and noteworthy. Which are the strongest skills to recommend you as a student of medicine? These points can form the skeleton of your medicine personal statement structure. Every strength should be supported by evidence. For example, if you write that you have a passion for biology in your Medicine personal statement, how can you prove that? Maybe you’ve attended clubs, read around the subject, or entered competitions. Don’t worry about how to end a personal statement: it’s not a novel. As long as it seems complete (and not like the laptop has been whisked away from you, mid-writing), it doesn’t need to be a literary spectacle. Just round things up neatly, summarising your main reasons for applying and key assets as a future medical professional. Mention your motivation for choosing this course. If you’re drafting a Bristol medicine personal statement, don’t be too specific about the location, as it’s likely one of several on your list, but you should be specific about the subject: why do you want to study medicine? What are your ambitions? Any work or voluntary experience can be useful in an application. Good veterinary medicine personal statement examples might include details of a voluntary role in an animal shelter, or a part-time job as a dog walker. In fact, any life skills can be included. A busy schedule can be evidence of strong organisational skills; re-sitting a year at college can be proof of commitment and a strong work-ethic; interpersonal skills developed while travelling or working can enhance medicine gap year personal statements.

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The Ultimate Guide to Applying for Graduate Entry Medicine in 2024

What is a graduate entry medical course?

Some people have always known that they want to become a doctor, and are keen to begin medical school as soon as they can. However, other people may not realise that medicine is for them until later in life. There may be other subjects that they love, and want to study at university. Or they may encounter barriers or challenges that can get in the way of training: perhaps a disappointing exam result, or a change in personal circumstances. Luckily, there are lots of different routes into medicine. It is important to make sure you know about these different routes, so that you can make a fully informed choice about the best option for you.

In an undergraduate medical degree, you will go straight from school to studying medicine at university. Most people are aged around eighteen when they begin the course, or a little older if they have taken some time out (for example a gap year). It then takes an average of five to six years to complete the course, after which you qualify as a doctor, ready to begin work!

By contrast, a Graduate Entry Medical (GEM) course is completed in four years. To begin the course, you must have already completed an undergraduate three-year university degree. For many people, this first degree will be in a topic related to medical or biological sciences: for example, biomedical sciences, microbiology, or neuroscience. However, others go into a GEM course after a humanities, art or languages degree. It is important to check the entry requirements of the specific graduate entry medicine course that you are interested in, as some programmes require your first degree to be in a particular subject (for example a science subject) while others are open to any degree subject.

An undergraduate degree is a minimum requirement for a graduate entry course: many people will have also spent a number of years working in an alternative career. This may be in a healthcare setting, such as nursing, or in a totally unrelated field such as finance or management. This means that your cohort will generally be more diverse than in an undergraduate course: both in terms of age, which may vary widely, and also in terms of backgrounds and past experiences.

It is a national requirement for all qualified doctors to have covered a full medical academic curriculum, and to have obtained enough patient exposure through clinical placements to become confident and competent at their job. A GEM course is said to be accelerated in the sense that it contains all of the medical learning of an undergraduate course, but is completed in a condensed time period of four years. Although you may have covered some of the content already as part of your first degree, a GEM course is a steep learning curve and requires a considerable amount of independent study. It is therefore important that you enjoy it!

What are the benefits of graduate entry medicine?

Many people feel that beginning medical school when they are a little older allows them to focus more on becoming a more mature, competent doctor. Whereas in an undergraduate course, you may be balancing the demands of medical school with learning how to live independently for the first time, as a GEM you will be used to the day-to-day realities of student life

If there is another subject that you love as well as medicine, a GEM course can give you the best of both worlds! It is also a chance to experience two different universities and two different locations, if you choose to apply to a GEM course at a different university to your first degree. Developing interests outside of medicine is healthy, and will make you more well-rounded as a doctor

Depending on what career path you choose to go down later in your career as a doctor, you may be credited in job applications for having a previous degree. It may be particularly beneficial if you have been able to carry out any research, or have won any awards or prizes during your previous degree

If you aren’t yet 100% sure that medicine is the career for you, a GEM course allows you to explore other options prior to committing to medicine. Alternatively, if you are now sure you want to be a doctor but have already committed to e.g. A Levels that are incompatible with an undergraduate course, GEM presents another route into medicine

Some GEM courses will place less weight on factors such as GCSE or A Level performance when allocating places, compared to an undergraduate course

You will have experience of writing a personal statement, and perhaps sitting an entrance exam or attending an interview, from your previous degree. This may make the process seem less daunting, and may boost your performance

You will have more time to gain relevant work experience , that will boost your application and will also help you decide whether medicine is the right career path for you. Turning eighteen often gives you more opportunity to get involved in different work experience and volunteering projects, which may not be open to those under eighteen. Many universities will have societies that carry out voluntary work, e.g. work with children, volunteering in a local hospice or elderly care home. You may find that it is easier to get experience in these areas through a GEM route

What are the drawbacks?

Although there are many advantages to a GEM course, this is not the best route for everyone.

If you are eager to become a doctor as quickly as possible, the course may not be for you. You will be delaying entry to medical school by a minimum of three years, and often longer. In particular, if there are not any courses other than medicine that you are interested in doing, the three years it takes to complete an undergraduate degree may feel like a very long time. However, be open to discovering that you enjoy other subjects more than you first thought!

Entry onto graduate entry medical courses is competitive, and some people find they have to apply multiple times before they are accepted

The accelerated nature of the course means that it is academically challenging, and it is important that you feel able to take on a high workload

University is expensive, and completing two separate degrees will increase these costs. It is important to plan carefully and think about your finances

How to increase your chances of being accepted onto a graduate entry medical course

As mentioned, entry to GEM courses is highly competitive and it is important that you think carefully about how to put together an application to maximise your chances. Planning ahead can be very helpful!

Research the entrance requirements of the specific GEM course you are interested in ahead of time, and only apply to those with entry criteria that are suitable for you. For example, if you have an undergraduate degree in a humanities subject, don’t apply for a GEM course that requires a science degree

Work experience. Again, the specific requirements will vary depending on the GEM course you are interested in, but generally this includes direct work with patients (for example in a hospital or general practice setting) or in communicating with other people (for example volunteer work at a residential home)

Showing your interest to medicine. This may be through your work experience, or through any reading or research projects you have been involved with. It may also be achieved through your undergraduate degree. For example, if you do an undergraduate degree in History, there may be modules exploring the history of medicine, and important medical advancements. If you do a degree in Psychology, there may be elements of neuroscience, or scope to explore social psychology and its link to doctor-patient interactions

Aim for a good score in any required entrance admission tests. Again these will vary between GEM courses, so make sure you are aware of what is required

Practise your interview technique. Through your first degree you are likely to have improved you communication with others, and your ability to think deeply and critically about a topic. Have a think about how to put these skills into practice during a medical interview

How to write a GEM personal statement

GEM personal statements are broadly similar to those used for undergraduate medicine. It is important to discuss your motivations for studying medicine, and to highlight why you are a good candidate with reference to your experiences (both academic and extra-curricular). However, you will have three (or more) years of additional learning to draw upon, so it is important to make the most of this. Talk about why your undergraduate experiences are useful. If your degree is in a related discipline, the relevance may be more obvious. However, it is still helpful to pick out specific modules or projects that you have enjoyed , and to explain how this relates to your future academic aspirations. What did this module teach you about human physiology, pathology, or the process of conducting medical research?

If your undergraduate degree is in a completely unrelated field, there is still a lot of scope for showing how useful it is. A humanities degree may have taught you creativity and problem-solving skills, or the ability to think broadly and draw out patterns from within a large amount of information. These skills are important in coming to a diagnosis when a patient presents to you with a wide range of symptoms. Your course may have contained a lot of group work, allowing you to develop vital team-working skills. It may have had a large essay-writing component, requiring a logical structure to your thought processes and an ability to gather information independently, as required in a GEM course.

Remember, your experiences from your undergraduate degree do not just have to be academic. You may have had the chance to participate in sport, charity work or academic research projects while completing your studies. This may have given you leadership skills, aided your decision-making ability, time management and organisational ability, or your academic vigour: skills that will be of great value to you at medical school and beyond.

It is also important to incorporate your previous degree when talking about your motivations to study GEM. If you state that you have wanted to study medicine from a young age, but then chosen to study an unrelated undergraduate degree first, it can be helpful to explain why. It is okay to say that you once lacked certain qualities (for example confidence or leadership skills) but throughout your undergraduate degree have been able to develop and enhance these skills so that you are now ready to study medicine. You may have needed to delay medicine due to your physical or mental health: thus showing an ability to recognise and act upon your own needs, which is vital for a career in medicine. If a particular life experience or academic module sparked an interest in medicine, or changed your mind about any negative views you may once have had, put this into your personal statement. Being as specific as possible can help your application stand out, and shows a genuine degree of thought and reflection upon your experiences.

Interview tips for GEM

The main difference between undergraduate and GEM interviews is that you will be older, probably better practiced in engaging in academic discussions, and will have had more opportunity to gain life experiences both within and outside of medicine. Make sure you make the most of this during an interview. It can be helpful to write a list of some of the key activities and experiences you have had, and spend some time thinking about how they are relevant to medicine , as it can be easy to forget even the most useful experiences when they occurred several years ago; especially when thinking under pressure! Remember, you can still discuss older experiences, for example activities you were involved with when you were in school or college, as well as those from your first undergraduate degree. These may be academic, for example research projects, group work or prizes, or extra-curricular such as work experience or previous employment, sporting activities or other hobbies.

As in your personal statement, you should also be clear on why you have chosen to study medicine through this route, and how your first degree has been useful. Be prepared to explain, if asked, why you did not study medicine at undergraduate level. You can be honest about your reasoning: if, at first, medicine did not appeal to you, talk about how you came to change your mind about this, and any particular experiences you had which led to this. Having a realistic understanding of the more negative, as well of the positive aspects of a career in medicine is valued extremely highly by medical schools, and suggests you are more likely to be suited to the career in the longer term. If you had wanted to study medicine at undergraduate level but were not accepted onto a course or were not able to attend for other reasons, use this experience to show how you have developed resilience and perseverance: qualities that will be invaluable during the course and your future career. Take some time to reflect upon your own experiences, and how they have shaped your current skills and aspirations.

There is a great deal of variation between medical schools both in how the interviews are structured and their focus. Some have a more academic focus, discussing scientific principles and physiology. This may be in a ‘one to one’ or a panel interview. Other are based more around communication skills and your ability to reflect upon your experiences, often carried out in a ‘multiple mini interview’ (MMI) style. It is therefore important to thoroughly explore your university’s website prior to interview. Other useful resources for medical school interviews more generally include the Royal College of  Surgeons ( https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/careers-in-surgery/careers-support/applying-to-medical-school/interview-questions/ ) which offers a good range of sample questions, as well as U2’s blog on preparing for medical applications and Medicine Interview Preparation Guide , which is written by U2’s team of Oxbridge-educated medics, including a number of Grad Med students. To see all the ways U2 can help you gain entrance into your dream medical school, see our Medical School Applications page!

Below are some example interview questions that are particularly relevant to GEM interviews. Remember that other questions, as seen in undergraduate interviews and discussed in the resources mentioned above, are also relevant in a GEM interview.

Why did you choose a graduate entry route, as opposed to studying undergraduate medicine? What are the advantages of a graduate entry medical course? How did you choose your undergraduate degree? What was your favourite module from your undergraduate degree? Tell me about a module or subject that you struggled in. Why did you struggle, and what did you do about it? Why is medical research important for doctors? Tell me about an interesting research paper that you have read. What career would you choose, if not for medicine? Why?   Why did you choose this medical school? How well do the specific teaching and learning methods suit you?

The tips discussed above should help you to think about answering these questions. However, each answer will be personal to you, so it is helpful to take time to reflect on the questions and perhaps come back to them later on. Being open and honest in your thought processes is helpful both at interview and for your own benefit: if you are confident that GEM really is for you then this will show through at interview.

Are you looking for a Graduate Medicine tutor?

U2’s Grad-Med tutors have a close insight into what admissions tutors like to see in a graduate’s personal statement, and can help students to convey their skills, motivations, and long term goals, in order to stand out amidst the hundreds of other graduates applying. We have a large team of Oxbridge-educated Graduate Medicine tutors, the majority of whom have either attended Oxbridge for their undergraduate and applied for Graduate Medicine elsewhere, or who have attended another top Russel Group university for undergraduate and successfully applied to Oxbridge for Grad-Med. We cover all aspects of the application process, including:

Personal Statement Support

The statement should be the candidate’s own work, but our mentors will provide direction and guide you through the process of content building and writing. Our tutors will give you an insight to the course, which will help you talk about your characteristics which make you suited for the course and career. We offer offline drafting as well as tuition sessions.

Admissions Test Support

Many Grad-Med courses require applicants to take the BMAT - Our customisable BMAT (BioMedical Admissions Test) course is five sessions of two hours each. N.B. This can be customised to the student depending on the level of support required, but gives an indication of what preparation with a BMAT tutor can involve/ how it would be structured.

Frequency of sessions can be decided between student and tutor. Honing the skills necessary to succeed in the BMAT test can begin early in Year 12. When the student and mentor run out of past papers, they will work through similar questions curated by the tutor. We offer BMAT practice online or in-person in London.

See Example 1-1 Course Outline

Interview Preparation

Our Graduate Medicine tutors have experience preparing students for both traditional and MMI interviews. Our tutors are experienced at tasking students with realistic interview questions and teaching techniques to help students tackle each format of question.

Individual sessions from £70/h.

Oxbridge Spanish Applications in 2024: Our Guide to Reading, Personal Statement and Interview Tips

Applying for linguistics at university in 2023: reading, personal statement and interview tips from an oxford linguistics graduate.

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Writing the Personal Statement

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This handout provides information about writing personal statements for academic and other positions.

The personal statement, your opportunity to sell yourself in the application process, generally falls into one of two categories:

1. The general, comprehensive personal statement:

This allows you maximum freedom in terms of what you write and is the type of statement often prepared for standard medical or law school application forms.

2. The response to very specific questions:

Often, business and graduate school applications ask specific questions, and your statement should respond specifically to the question being asked. Some business school applications favor multiple essays, typically asking for responses to three or more questions.

Questions to ask yourself before you write:

• What's special, unique, distinctive, and/or impressive about you or your life story?
• What details of your life (personal or family problems, history, people or events that have shaped you or influenced your goals) might help the committee better understand you or help set you apart from other applicants?
• When did you become interested in this field and what have you learned about it (and about yourself) that has further stimulated your interest and reinforced your conviction that you are well suited to this field? What insights have you gained?
• How have you learned about this field—through classes, readings, seminars, work or other experiences, or conversations with people already in the field?
• If you have worked a lot during your college years, what have you learned (leadership or managerial skills, for example), and how has that work contributed to your growth?
• What are your career goals?
• Are there any gaps or discrepancies in your academic record that you should explain (great grades but mediocre LSAT or GRE scores, for example, or a distinct upward pattern to your GPA if it was only average in the beginning)?
• Have you had to overcome any unusual obstacles or hardships (for example, economic, familial, or physical) in your life?
• What personal characteristics (for example, integrity, compassion, and/or persistence) do you possess that would improve your prospects for success in the field or profession? Is there a way to demonstrate or document that you have these characteristics?
• What skills (for example, leadership, communicative, analytical) do you possess?
• Why might you be a stronger candidate for graduate school—and more successful and effective in the profession or field than other applicants?
• What are the most compelling reasons you can give for the admissions committee to be interested in you?

General advice

Answer the questions that are asked

• If you are applying to several schools, you may find questions in each application that are somewhat similar.
• Don't be tempted to use the same statement for all applications. It is important to answer each question being asked, and if slightly different answers are needed, you should write separate statements. In every case, be sure your answer fits the question being asked.

Tell a story

• Think in terms of showing or demonstrating through concrete experience. One of the worst things you can do is to bore the admissions committee. If your statement is fresh, lively, and different, you'll be putting yourself ahead of the pack. If you distinguish yourself through your story, you will make yourself memorable.

Be specific

• Don't, for example, state that you would make an excellent doctor unless you can back it up with specific reasons. Your desire to become a lawyer, engineer, or whatever should be logical, the result of specific experience that is described in your statement. Your application should emerge as the logical conclusion to your story.

Find an angle

• If you're like most people, your life story lacks drama, so figuring out a way to make it interesting becomes the big challenge. Finding an angle or a "hook" is vital.

Concentrate on your opening paragraph

• The lead or opening paragraph is generally the most important. It is here that you grab the reader's attention or lose it. This paragraph becomes the framework for the rest of the statement.

Tell what you know

• The middle section of your essay might detail your interest and experience in your particular field, as well as some of your knowledge of the field. Too many people graduate with little or no knowledge of the nuts and bolts of the profession or field they hope to enter. Be as specific as you can in relating what you know about the field and use the language professionals use in conveying this information. Refer to experiences (work, research, etc.), classes, conversations with people in the field, books you've read, seminars you've attended, or any other source of specific information about the career you want and why you're suited to it. Since you will have to select what you include in your statement, the choices you make are often an indication of your judgment.

Don't include some subjects

• There are certain things best left out of personal statements. For example, references to experiences or accomplishments in high school or earlier are generally not a good idea. Don't mention potentially controversial subjects (for example, controversial religious or political issues).

Do some research, if needed

• If a school wants to know why you're applying to it rather than another school, do some research to find out what sets your choice apart from other universities or programs. If the school setting would provide an important geographical or cultural change for you, this might be a factor to mention.

Write well and correctly

• Be meticulous. Type and proofread your essay very carefully. Many admissions officers say that good written skills and command of correct use of language are important to them as they read these statements. Express yourself clearly and concisely. Adhere to stated word limits.

Avoid clichés

• A medical school applicant who writes that he is good at science and wants to help other people is not exactly expressing an original thought. Stay away from often-repeated or tired statements.

For more information on writing a personal statement, see the personal statement vidcast .

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How to Write a Personal Statement

A personal statement can be a key part of your college application, and you can really make yours shine by following a few tips.

When you're applying to college—either to an undergraduate or graduate program—you may be asked to submit a personal statement. It's an essay that gives you the chance to share more about who you are and why you'd like to attend the university you're applying to.  

The information you provide in your personal statement can help build on your other application materials, like your transcripts and letters of recommendation, and build a more cohesive picture to help the admissions committee understand your goals.

In this article, we'll go over more about personal statements, including why they're important, what to include in one, and tips for strengthening yours.

What is a personal statement?

A personal statement—sometimes known as a college essay —is a brief written essay you submit with other materials when applying to college or university. Personal statements tend to be most common for undergraduate applications, and they're a great opportunity for an admissions committee to hear your voice directly.

Many colleges and universities in the US, especially those using Common App , provide prompts for you to use. For example, "Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea" or "Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time" [ 1 ]. If the school you're interested in attending doesn't require prompts, you will likely want to craft a response that touches on your story, your values, and your goals if possible.

In grad school, personal statements are sometimes known as letters of intent , and go into more detail about your academic and professional background, while expressing interest in attending the particular program you're applying to.

Why is a personal statement important?

Personal statements are important for a number of reasons. Whereas other materials you submit in an application can address your academic abilities (like your transcripts) or how you perform as a student (like your letters of recommendation), a personal statement is a chance to do exactly that: get more personal.

Personal statements typically:

Permit you to share things that don't fit on your resume, such as personal stories, motivations, and values

Offer schools a chance to see why you're interested in a particular field of study and what you hope to accomplish after you graduate 

Provide an opportunity for you to talk about past employment, volunteer experiences, or skills you have that complement your studies 

Allow colleges to evaluate your writing skills 

Bring life to a college application package otherwise filled with facts and figures 

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How to write a personal statement.

As we mentioned earlier, you may have to respond to a prompt when drafting your personal statement—or a college or university may invite you to respond however you'd like. In either case, use the steps below to begin building your response.

Create a solid hook .

To capture the attention of an admissions committee member, start your personal statement with a hook that relates to the topic of your essay. A hook tends to be a colorful sentence or two at the very beginning that compels the reader to continue reading.

To create a captivating hook, try one of these methods:

Pose a rhetorical question. 

Provide an interesting statistic. 

Insert a quote from a well-known person.

Challenge the reader with a common misconception. 

Use an anecdote, which is a short story that can be true or imaginary. 

Credibility is crucial when writing a personal statement as part of your college application process. If you choose a statistic, quote, or misconception for your hook, make sure it comes from a reliable source.

Follow a narrative.

The best personal statements typically read like a story: they have a common theme, as well as a beginning, middle, and end. This type of format also helps keep your thoughts organized and improves the flow of your essay.

Common themes to consider for your personal statement include:

Special role models from your past

Life-altering events you've experienced

Unusual challenges you've faced

Accomplishments you're especially proud of

Service to others and why you enjoy it

What you've learned from traveling to a particular place

Unique ways you stand out from other candidates

Be specific.

Admissions committees read thousands of personal statements every year, which is why being specific on yours is important. Back up your statements with examples or anecdotes.

For instance, avoid vague assertions like, "I'm interested in your school counseling program because I care about children." Instead, point out experiences you've had with children that emphasize how much you care. For instance, you might mention your summer job as a day camp counselor or your volunteer experience mentoring younger children.

Don't forget to include detail and vibrancy to keep your statement interesting. The use of detail shows how your unique voice and experiences can add value to the college or university you're applying to.

Stay on topic.

It's natural to want to impress the members of the admissions committee who will read your personal statement. The best way to do this is to lead your readers through a cohesive, informative, and descriptive essay.

If you feel you might be going astray, ensure each paragraph in your essay's body supports your introduction. Here are a few more strategies that can help keep you on track:

Know what you want to say and do research if needed. 

Create an outline listing the key points you want to share.

Read your outline aloud to confirm it makes logical sense before proceeding. 

Read your essay aloud while you're writing to confirm you're staying on topic.

Ask a trusted friend or family member to read your essay and make suggestions.

Be true to your own voice.

Because of the importance of your personal statement, you could be tempted to be very formal with structure and language. However, using a more relaxed tone is better than you would for a classroom writing assignment. 

Remember: admissions committees really want to hear from you . Writing in your own voice will help accomplish this. To ensure your tone isn't too relaxed, write your statement as if you were speaking to an older relative or trusted teacher. This way, you'll come across as respectful, confident, and honest.

Tips for drafting an effective personal statement.

Now that you've learned a little about personal statements and how to craft them, here are a few more tips you can follow to strengthen your essay:

1. Customize your statement.

You don't have to completely rewrite your personal statement every time you apply to a new college, but you want to make sure you tailor it as much as possible. For instance, if you talk about wanting to take a certain class or study a certain subject, make sure you adjust any specifics for each application.

2. Avoid cliches.

Admissions committees are ultimately looking for students who will fit the school, and who the school can help guide toward their larger goals. In that case, cliches can get in the way of a reviewer understanding what it is you want from a college education. Watch out for cliches like "making a difference," "broadening my horizons," or "the best thing that ever happened to me."

3. Stay focused.

Try to avoid getting off-track or including tangents in your personal statement. Stay focused by writing a first draft and then re-reading what you've written. Does every paragraph flow from one point to the next? Are the ideas you're presenting cohesive?

4. Stick to topics that aren't controversial.

It's best not to discuss political beliefs or inappropriate topics in your essay. These can be controversial; ideally, you want to share something goals- or values-driven with an admissions committee.

Polish your writing skills on Coursera.

A stellar personal statement starts with stellar writing skills. Enhance your writing ability with a writing course from a top university, like Good with Words: Writing and Editing from the University of Michigan or Writing a Personal Essay from Wesleyan University. Get started for free to level up your writing.

Article sources

1. Common App. " 2022-2023 Common App Essay Prompts , https://www.commonapp.org/blog/2022-2023-common-app-essay-prompts." Accessed January 9, 2024.

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IRS alert: Beware of companies misrepresenting nutrition, wellness and general health expenses as medical care for FSAs, HSAs, HRAs and MSAs

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IR-2024-65, March 6, 2024

WASHINGTON — Amid concerns about people being misled, the Internal Revenue Service today reminded taxpayers and heath spending plan administrators that personal expenses for general health and wellness are not considered medical expenses under the tax law.

This means personal expenses are not deductible or reimbursable under health flexible spending arrangements, health savings accounts, health reimbursement arrangements or medical savings accounts ( FSAs, HSAs, HRAs and MSAs PDF ).

This reminder is important because some companies are misrepresenting the circumstances under which food and wellness expenses can be paid or reimbursed under FSAs and other health spending plans.

“Legitimate medical expenses have an important place in the tax law that allows for reimbursements,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. “But taxpayers should be careful to follow the rules amid some aggressive marketing that suggests personal expenditures on things like food for weight loss qualify for reimbursement when they don’t qualify as medical expenses.”

Some companies mistakenly claim that notes from doctors based merely on self-reported health information can convert non-medical food, wellness and exercise expenses into medical expenses, but this documentation actually doesn’t. Such a note would not establish that an otherwise personal expense satisfies the requirement that it be related to a targeted diagnosis-specific activity or treatment; these types of personal expenses do not qualify as medical expenses.

For example: A diabetic, in his attempts to control his blood sugar, decides to eat foods that are lower in carbohydrates. He sees an advertisement from a company stating that he can use pre-tax dollars from his FSA to purchase healthy food if he contacts that company. He contacts the company, who tells him that for a fee, the company will provide him with a ‘doctor’s note’ that he can submit to his FSA to be reimbursed for the cost of food purchased in his attempt to eat healthier. However, when he submits the expense with the 'doctor's note', the claim is denied because food is not a medical expense and plan administrators are wary of claims that could invalidate their plans.

FSAs and other health spending plans that pay for, or reimburse, non-medical expenses are not qualified plans. If the plan is not qualified, all payments made to taxpayers under the plan, even reimbursements for actual medical expenses, are includible in income.

The IRS encourages taxpayers with questions to review the frequently asked questions on medical expenses related to nutrition, wellness and general health to determine whether a food or wellness expense is a medical expense.

IRS.gov provides more information regarding details and requirements for deductibility of medical expenses; taxpayers can also review Can I deduct my medical and dental expenses? and Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses .

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HHS Statement Regarding the Cyberattack on Change Healthcare

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is aware that Change Healthcare – a unit of UnitedHealth Group (UHG) – was impacted by a cybersecurity incident in late February. HHS recognizes the impact this attack has had on health care operations across the country. HHS’ first priority is to help coordinate efforts to avoid disruptions to care throughout the health care system.

HHS is in regular contact with UHG leadership, state partners, and with numerous external stakeholders to better understand the nature of the impacts and to ensure the effectiveness of UHG’s response. HHS has made clear its expectation that UHG does everything in its power to ensure continuity of operations for all health care providers impacted and HHS appreciates UHG’s continuous efforts to do so. HHS is also leading interagency coordination of the Federal government’s related activities, including working closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the White House, and other agencies to provide credible, actionable threat intelligence to industry wherever possible.

HHS refers directly to UHG for updates on their incident response progress and recovery planning. However, numerous hospitals, doctors, pharmacies and other stakeholders have highlighted potential cash flow concerns to HHS stemming from an inability to submit claims and receive payments. HHS has heard these concerns and is taking direct action and working to support the important needs of the health care community.

Today, HHS is announcing immediate steps that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking to assist providers to continue to serve patients. CMS will continue to communicate with the health care community and assist, as appropriate. Providers should continue to work with all their payers for the latest updates on how to receive timely payments.

Affected parties should be aware of the following flexibilities in place:

• Medicare providers needing to change clearinghouses that they use for claims processing during these outages should contact their Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) to request a new electronic data interchange (EDI) enrollment for the switch. The MAC will provide instructions based on the specific request to expedite the new EDI enrollment. CMS has instructed the MACs to expedite this process and move all provider and facility requests into production and ready to bill claims quickly. CMS is strongly encouraging other payers, including state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) agencies and Medicaid and CHIP managed care plans, to waive or expedite solutions for this requirement.
• CMS will issue guidance to Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations and Part D sponsors encouraging them to remove or relax prior authorization, other utilization management, and timely filing requirements during these system outages. CMS is also encouraging MA plans to offer advance funding to providers most affected by this cyberattack.
• CMS strongly encourages Medicaid and CHIP managed care plans to adopt the same strategies of removing or relaxing prior authorization and utilization management requirements, and consider offering advance funding to providers, on behalf of Medicaid and CHIP managed care enrollees to the extent permitted by the State. 
• If Medicare providers are having trouble filing claims or other necessary notices or other submissions, they should contact their MAC for details on exceptions, waivers, or extensions, or contact CMS regarding quality reporting programs.
• CMS has contacted all of the MACs to make sure they are prepared to accept paper claims from providers who need to file them. While we recognize that electronic billing is preferable for everyone, the MACs must accept paper submissions if a provider needs to file claims in that method.

CMS has also heard from providers about the availability of accelerated payments, like those issued during the COVID-19 pandemic. We understand that many payers are making funds available while billing systems are offline, and providers should take advantage of those opportunities. However, CMS recognizes that hospitals may face significant cash flow problems from the unusual circumstances impacting hospitals’ operations, and – during outages arising from this event – facilities may submit accelerated payment requests to their respective servicing MACs for individual consideration. We are working to provide additional information to the MACs about the specific items and information a provider’s request should contain. Specific information will be available from the MACs later this week.

This incident is a reminder of the interconnectedness of the domestic health care ecosystem and of the urgency of strengthening cybersecurity resiliency across the ecosystem. That’s why, in December 2023, HHS released a concept paper that outlines the Department’s cybersecurity strategy for the sector. The concept paper builds on the National Cybersecurity Strategy that President Biden released last year, focusing specifically on strengthening resilience for hospitals, patients, and communities threatened by cyber-attacks. The paper details four pillars for action, including publishing new voluntary health care-specific cybersecurity performance goals, working with Congress to develop supports and incentives for domestic hospitals to improve cybersecurity, increasing accountability within the health care sector, and enhancing coordination through a one-stop shop.

HHS will continue to communicate with the health care sector and encourage continued dialogue among affected parties. We will continue to communicate with UHG, closely monitor their ongoing response to this cyberattack, and promote transparent, robust response while working with the industry to close any gaps that remain.

HHS also takes this opportunity to encourage all providers, technology vendors, and members of the health care ecosystem to double down on cybersecurity, with urgency. The system and the American people can ill afford further disruptions in care. Please visit the  HPH Cyber Performance Goals website for more details on steps to stay protected.

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Readout of biden-harris administration’s follow up meeting with insurers concerning cyberattack on change healthcare, hhs expands tefca by adding two additional qhins, health resources and services administration takes historic new steps to transform the organ transplant system to better serve patients, related blog posts.

Reflecting on Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Navigating section 752: insights from program managers on success, challenges, and tools for change, thank you to the 2023 civic digital fellows, media inquiries.

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Postgraduate medical microbiology personal statement example.

Southampton University hosts the national biofilms innovation centre and fellows linked to this lectured me on their most recent findings within my biofilms and microbial communities module. I was captivated by the module content and enjoyed building upon my second-year module, medical microbiology.

I scored high first-class grades in these modules, including one of my highest grades ever — 90 % for a question on quorum sensing within pseudomonas aeruginosa. I became aware at University how we now face a critical point in microbiology. Antimicrobial resistance is becoming a worldwide issue, and as such, people are dying unnecessarily in hospitals. It is down to microbiologists to solve this problem, and I wish to be a part of that story.

Following my second year, where I was awarded a faculty merit award for averaging above 75%, I secured a seven-week placement with Bioquell. It was during this project that I got to play a role in tackling problems related to hospital-acquired infections. The project involving using hydrogen peroxide to eliminate multidrug-resistant biofilms. Following the addition of hydrogen peroxide to bacterial spores, I used an omega plate reader to measure the rates of cell metabolism using a fluorescent compound.

Geobacillus sterothermophillus spores were used because they represent the most resistant bacterial form in nature. If they were eliminated, we could be sure that all other bacteria would also be destroyed. I found this project exciting because I knew the technology would be used to eliminate bacteria within hospitals. This placement exposed me to a range of microbiological techniques and developed my skills in relevant statistical approaches. The project also involved communicating my results to senior colleagues, exposing me to the commercial implications of the project and its impact on public healthcare.

In the third year, upon completion, I was awarded a Dean’s list award for “sustained academic excellence”. I chose to focus my thesis on a nucleic acids project to diversify my laboratory skills. I used CRISPR-Cas9 to knock-out the gene WISP-1, which is understood to play a sinister role in some cancers and lung fibrosis. The procedure involved cloning CRISPR guide oligonucleotides into a vector, maintaining and transforming a cell line and using PCR and Western blot analysis. I developed an array in silico skills through the use of SnapGene and Ensemble, abilities I can further utilise in my masters.

This MSc appeals to me because the modules taught in the programme align well with my academic curiosities. For example, I enjoyed learning about virology and scored a rare mark of 100% in a related examined essay. I wrote about the infection mechanism of the Epstein Barr virus and performed well because I found the content extremely interesting. This motivated me to carry out extensive extra reading, which I applied effectively to the question. I have also learnt about HIV, and other retroviruses such as the human moloney leukaemia virus and how this can be utilised to deliver therapeutic transgenes in the treatment of genetic pathologies. Other microorganisms I have studied include; fungi, parasites and protozoa.

In terms of my academic ability to perform well in this masters, I have been a consistent first class student. Out of eighteen examined essays presented to me in the 2nd and 3rd years, I scored a First in fifteen of them. My ability to understand and apply fundamental biology is an excellent skill for this masters. My laboratory skills are also of a High standard. In my dissertation, I was commended for contributing to meetings and for my ideas related to the direction of the project. During my placement, the module lead of my biofilms module told me I performed well in this particularly tricky project.

In addition to my academic aptitude, I plan to use this year to improve my understanding of microbiology. Alongside applying to become a member of the Royal Society of Biology, I recently attended a seminar by Dr Stephen Wallace titled “Native and engineered microorganisms for chemical synthesis”. I will also be volunteering on a project exploring the ability of DNA to self-assemble, with potential to be used in medicine, nanotechnology, and synthetic biology.

In conclusion, I wish to study this MSc because it will give me transferable skills to complete a PhD within a related discipline. I hope to contribute positively to research focusing on the reduction of hospital-acquired infections. Due to LSHTM being such a specialist establishment, the lecturers are at the forefront of their fields and us such, they will make an excellent contribution in continuing my education and transforming me into a successful microbiologist.

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Medical microbiology at London School of hygine and tropical medicine

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‘I’m going to be OK’: Watch the Princess of Wales’s statement in full

Catherine thanks public for support and praises ‘fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me’

Kensington Palace has released a personal video message from the Princess of Wales in which she reveals her cancer diagnosis and offers a message of hope to others with the disease.

The Princess announces that she is having treatment for cancer. She thanks the public for their support and says she has taken time to reassure her three children that she is “going to be OK”.

The message was filmed in Windsor by BBC Studios on Wednesday, March 20 and is two minutes and 15 seconds long.

This is the transcript:

“I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you personally for all the wonderful messages of support, and for your understanding whilst I have been recovering from surgery .

“It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family , but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful.

“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous.

“The surgery was successful . However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.

“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.

“As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.

“But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok.

“As I have said to them, I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body and spirits.

“Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too, as is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both.

“We hope you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment.

“ My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy, and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.

“At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer . For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.”

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Catherine, Princess of Wales, receiving chemotherapy treatment for cancer

Royal says in recorded statement her condition was discovered after she had abdominal surgery in January

• Catherine, Princess of Wales, announces she has cancer – live reaction

What we know about the Princess of Wales’s cancer diagnosis

• Catherine’s statement in full

The Princess of Wales has disclosed that she has been diagnosed with cancer and is in the early stages of receiving chemotherapy treatment.

In a “personal message” filmed in the gardens of Windsor Castle by the BBC, Catherine told of her “shock” when her condition was discovered after she had major abdominal surgery in January.

She has since been the subject of wild rumours, and Friday’s news prompted Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer to condemn the “lurid” and “unfair” speculation of recent weeks.

Catherine said she and her husband, Prince William, had needed time to explain the situation to their three children, George, 10, Charlotte, eight, and Louis, five.

“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” she said.

“As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.”

King Charles, 75, who is also being treated for cancer and was in hospital at the same time as Catherine in January, spoke of his pride at her “courage in speaking as she did”.

“Following their time in hospital together, [His Majesty] has remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks,” Buckingham Palace said. “Both their Majesties will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they wished “health and healing for Kate and the family”, adding: “[We] hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.”

The palace said Catherine, 42, started her chemotherapy treatment in late February. It is understood her public announcement of the news was timed to coincide with the children breaking up from school for the Easter holidays.

Sitting on a bench as she gave her statement, Catherine spoke for two minutes and 16 seconds. The message was filmed on Wednesday by BBC Studios, which is the corporation’s commercial global production and distribution arm. Wearing a white jumper with black stripes, the princess talked without apparent nerves but looked down briefly when talking of her family’s shock at the news.

The palace said Catherine had wished to provide a medical update in order to put an end to the speculation sparked by her admission to the London Clinic on 16 January for major abdominal surgery. At the time, the palace refused to confirm what Catherine was being treated for, but said the condition was non-cancerous.

Catherine said it was only after the surgery that the cancer had been found. In her statement – made public on Friday and which began with words of thanks for those who had sent messages of support – Catherine said she felt well and was “getting stronger every day”.

She added: “It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful.

“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventive chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.”

Catherine said she had been able to reassure her children that she would recover from her diagnosis. “As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits,” she said. “Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too. As is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both.”

It is understood that the cancer diagnosis was the “personal matter” that led to William pulling out from a memorial service for his godfather, King Constantine II, in late February.

The royal couple, who will celebrate their 13th wedding anniversary next month, have endured weeks of rumours about Catherine’s condition. The speculation was only fuelled when the first official photograph of the Princess of Wales to be released after her abdominal surgery two months ago was recalled by some of the world’s biggest picture agencies over claims it had been manipulated.

She soon after issued a public apology for the “confusion” and said she had been responsible for digitally editing the Mother’s Day family photograph .

Catherine asked in the statement issued on Friday for time and space for her to complete her treatment and said she looked forward to returning to royal duties.

She said: “We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.

“At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.”

The palace did not provide any further information about the type of cancer that had been discovered.

Responding to the announcement, Sunak condemned the treatment of the princess “by certain sections of the media around the world and on social media”.

Starmer said: “Any cancer diagnosis is shocking. But I can only imagine the added stress of receiving that news amid the lurid speculation we’ve seen in recent weeks.”

• Catherine, Princess of Wales

More on this story

Burden falls on Prince William to steer monarchy through next few months

‘Hardest conversation’: how to tell children about a cancer diagnosis

Cancer charities praise ‘brave’ Princess of Wales for speaking about her diagnosis

‘Shock and sadness’: outside Kensington Palace, public express sympathy for Kate

Popular Princess of Wales can rely on public support during cancer treatment

Royal family’s cancer diagnoses echo the ‘annus horribilis’

Harry and Meghan wish ‘health and healing’ for Catherine after cancer diagnosis – as it happened

Kate: watchdog investigating if hospital delayed data breach report

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