The UCAS personal statement is used in various ways by medical schools. Some will use this as part of the shortlisting process, others will score your statement and combine with scores in other aspects of the application (for example your UCAT and interview scores). Some medical schools will say they don’t look at your UCAS personal statement at all (take this advice with a pinch of salt) and others will use what you have written in your interview.

Do make sure your UCAS statement is well written – do not submit with errors.

Make sure there are no spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. Do not write in a list (it can also waste valuable space) – write in sentences. Get your teacher or careers advisor to proofread your statement for errors. Do not rely on Word (or any other word processor for that matter) alone. They are expecting standards of an A-level student – they are not expecting Shakespeare’s use of English language.

Do not copy someone else’s statement - do make sure the personal statement is personal to you and in your own words.

Do not attempt to copy statements in books or on the internet, not even small paragraphs. There is software that will tell a user how much of a document is similar to others. The medical schools will check. Also be wary of companies that write claim to write the statement for you in full – they could use generic templates which risk being picked up by the medical schools. Always write in your own words.

Don’t just put a list of achievements - do reflect and write in detail.

Many students write a long list of achievements and awards. However, without explaining how each achievement will benefit your application and your future career as a doctor (or as a medical student) the list is meaningless to the admissions tutor. It is better to write in detail about a few achievements rather than very little about a lot.

Don’t put empty statements without explanation - Justify everything you have written.

If you have written that you attended an online lecture on anatomy you must write why you did so and what you learnt from it that will help you in your application to medicine.

Do not trace your interest in medicine back to primary school

There is no need to write a chronology of your interest in medicine over the decade. In addition, it is hard to believe that you wanted to be a doctor whilst you were at primary school and just starting to read and write.

Do not lie or exaggerate anything on your personal statement

You will be found out. Medical schools do have the right to verify information – for example they can ask for attendance confirmation from your work experience and for copies of any awards. Your application will be rejected, and you may be even barred from applying to medicine in the UK in future. If you are found to have been dishonest whilst you have started at medical school, they can withdraw your place.

Do not leave gaps - use all the space on your personal statement

At the time of writing, you have 4000 characters (including spaces). You will need to use this to very near the limit. If you are not doing, not only are you wasting valuable space that you can always use, large blank spaces on your application do not look professional.

Blue Peanut can help you drafting your personal statement from scratch if needed. We also offer you help with a medical school tutor. Please have a look at our UCAS personal statement services page for more details.