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 so much more that you can and should do to really stand out. This guide explains everything you need to know.
How Do I Start Writing My Personal Statement?
Understanding how to structure your Personal Statement for Medicine will firstly help you to plan your writing.
Most people will probably start with the introduction – but if you’re finding this hard, there’s no problem with leaving it until the end.
If you’re really stuck for inspiration, you might like to start with bullet points and list all the things you want to mention in your Personal Statement for Medical School. Once you have this list, you can then start writing around it, using the tips below to improve your writing style.
Tips For Improving The Quality Of Your Writing:
- Avoid negative language in 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 from how you intended?
- 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 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, and highlights areas where your language is too passive.
How Do I Check My Personal Statement For Medicine?
When you’ve spent hours writing your Personal Statement for Medicine, you might struggle to view it objectively, like an Admissions Tutor will. Here are some ways for you to check your Personal Statement thoroughly:
- Read your Personal Statement aloud. You’ll catch more errors this way, and it will highlight parts where you still need to work on your wording. You can even try to get a screen reader to do this for you – it will really highlight any areas that need to be re-written.
- Ask someone else to check it. Since they have more distance from it than you do, parents, friends and teachers should be able to pick up more errors.
- Get your Personal Statement reviewed by an Admissions Tutor. They’ll spot issues with spelling and grammar, as well as the content.
