Free help and advice on how to write the perfect UCAS personal statement for medicine.

 

What is involved in a UCAS Medicine application?

Once you have decided which medical schools to apply for, you need to start writing down your application to study medicine which once complete you will need to submit. For UK medical schools, you will need to do this through The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Your UCAS Medicine school application includes your predicted A-level grades, actual GSCE grades, a personal statement (which you need to write) and a teacher reference (which is usually done from someone at your school). The personal statement can be used in the first stage once it reaches the medical school to decide whether or not to call you for interview, so it’s vital you get it right.

We have created a free section with tips on how to write your statement. Don’t forget to look at all the sub sections to help you.

Has anything changed in how UCAS statements are used over the years?

It used to be the case that each medical school has its own individual criterion and marking scheme for evaluating a candidate’s UCAS personal statement. However, we now see attempts by medical schools to try and standardise the approach to personal statements which means they should all be looking for similar things.

We have noticed the websites of some medical schools have become increasingly vague over the years (yes, we have been watching them) about what they look for. Some will point you to an agreement they have made between them about what they will look for and direct you to a list on the medical school council’s website.

How do medical schools use your UCAS personal statement?

  • They could simply use it at the very beginning of the application process as a screening tool in the process of deciding whom to call for interview (and who to reject). Bear in mind that the personal statement may be evaluated by someone who is not a doctor, and perhaps not even medically qualified. This is another reason why you need to be clear and concise. Several applications are rejected at this stage, so you need to get it right.

  • They could score your personal statement and use it as part of an overall score, combined with other assessments, such as your UCAT score. The overall score can be used before or after interview. The medical schools sometimes mention it is used in a tie-breaker situation

  • They may use your statement as part of a MMI station. Here is the chance for the medical school to challenge you on whether you have demonstrated some of the attributes of a doctor.

We hope you find our guide useful. Good luck in your application!