Personal Statement Guide
Here is our complete personal statement guide for Medical and Dental applicants conforming to the new UCAS layout.
Our structure has been analysed by admission experts and we highly recommend following it!
Medicine & Dentistry Personal Statement Guide
This is a PLAN guide designed to help you structure and organise your personal statement effectively before writing.
What Should Your Personal Statement Include?
A strong Medicine or Dentistry personal statement should demonstrate a wide range of experiences, skills, and reflections. Admissions tutors are not just looking for what you did — they want to see what you learned and why it makes you suitable for the profession.
You should aim to include areas such as:
- Work experience
- Leadership
- Teaching
- Research
- Volunteering
- Awards and achievements
- Hobbies and extracurricular activities
Important Tip
Try to focus on a DIFFERENT skill in each section of your personal statement to show a broad and balanced understanding of the qualities needed for Medicine or Dentistry.
Skills You Could Include
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Empathy
- Research skills
- Manual dexterity (Dentistry)
- Commitment to lifelong learning
- Time management
- Work-life balance
Useful Terminology
Using professional terminology appropriately can strengthen reflection and show wider understanding. Examples include:
- Holistic care
- Multi-disciplinary team
- Decision making
- The 4 pillars of medical ethics
- Patient-centred care
- Minimally invasive / minimal intervention dentistry
Personal Statement Reviews
Before we talk about the structure, if you'd like a comprehensive personal statement review with rewriting and improvement suggestions click more info!
The UCAS Question Structure
The new UCAS format is divided into 3 separate questions. Below is a recommended structure and plan for each section.
Question 1:
Why do you want to study this course?
For each experience, focus on:
- The skill(s) demonstrated
- What the experience taught you about the profession
- How it increased your motivation to pursue the course
Suggested Structure
- Your initial spark or motivation
- Work experience example #1
- Work experience example #2
Choose meaningful moments rather than simply describing placements.
Question 2:
How have your qualifications and studies helped prepare you for this course?
This section should mainly focus on academic and intellectual skills. Avoid simply talking about A-level content unless necessary.
For each example:
- Explain the activity
- Show HOW you demonstrated the skill
- Explain WHY that skill is important for a doctor or dentist
Suggested Structure
- Research or scientific exploration
- Teaching or mentoring (adaptable communication)
- Academic achievements, projects, wider reading or awards
A useful skill to highlight here is time management — especially balancing multiple commitments successfully.
Question 3:
What have you done outside of education to prepare, and why are these experiences useful?
For each activity:
- Briefly explain what you did
- Identify the skills developed
- Link the skill back to Medicine or Dentistry
Suggested Structure
- Leadership or management experience
- Volunteering or caring role
- Hobbies / extracurricular activities
Hobbies are important because they demonstrate work-life balance, discipline, and personal development outside academics.
Final Advice
Once you have planned each section, begin writing in full paragraphs. Focus heavily on reflection:
- What did you realise?
- What did you learn?
- How did the experience change your understanding of the profession?
Reflection is what separates an average personal statement from a strong one.