How to Write A Personal Statement for Medical School

Writing a good personal statement for Medicine is not just about what you say; it’s how you say it.

Obviously, spelling and grammar mistakes are to be avoided at all costs. But there is much more that you can, and should, do to really stand out.

One thing you must never do is get someone else to write the personal statement for you. It should be your words. Admissions panels want to hear the voice of a young person – not their parents, or a family friend.

Jump to section:

• How Do I Start Writing My Personal Statement?
• How Can I Improve My Writing?
• Tips For Improving the Quality of Your Writing
• Should I use Medicine Personal Statement buzzwords?
• How Do I Check My Personal Statement for Medicine?

Take your personal statement to the next level – get it reviewed by an admissions expert
Get your Personal Statement reviewed by an expert

How Do I Start Writing My Personal Statement?

Understanding how to structure your personal statement for Medicine will help you plan how to start writing.

Most people will probably start at the introduction – but if you’re finding it hard to actually get writing, then leave this for last.

If you’re really stuck for inspiration, you may like to start with bullet points and list out all the things you want to mention in your personal statement for medical school. You can then start writing around this, using the tips below for how to improve your writing style.

How Can I Improve My Writing?

You can use free tools like Grammarly that will check the spelling, grammar, and overall quality of your writing. It makes really simple suggestions on how to tweak your phrasing, or highlights where your language is too passive.

Tips For Improving the Quality of Your Writing:

• Avoid negative language on your personal statement. Keep everything active and don’t use passive forms
• Don’t be too colloquial. This can make you seem quite casual and set the wrong tone for your application
• Avoid cliches. You aren’t like everyone else – so don’t use cliches or you’ll sound like everyone else
• Don’t open with a quote. It’s not unique – and what if the admissions tutor doesn’t like the quote, or interprets it differently than how you intend?
• Keep the writing simple. Follow the advice of King’s College London’s Director of Admissions: “don’t write your personal statement and then use a thesaurus to make it sound more grandiose.”

Should I Use Medicine Personal Statement Buzzwords?

There are some buzzwords that you may want to weave into your personal statement for Medicine – but remember that the content and quality of what you’re writing is much more important than dropping these in!

How Do I Check My Personal Statement for Medicine?

When you’ve spent hours upon hours writing your personal statement for Medicine, you might struggle to view it like an objective Admissions Tutor.

Read your personal statement aloud. You’ll catch more errors when you try to speak the words, and it’ll show where you still need to work on your wording.

Get someone else to check it. Since they have a bit more distance than you do, parents and teachers will be able to pick up more errors. They also have more experience!

Get your personal statement reviewed by an admissions tutor. They’ll spot issues with spelling and grammar, as well as content.

The best check is from an impartial admissions expert, who’ll be able to provide detailed feedback that will help you improve.
Get your Personal Statement reviewed by an expert

Learn More:

• Medicine Personal Statement Guide
• How Medical Schools Use Your Personal Statement
• How to Structure a Personal Statement
• Get Your Personal Statement Reviewed