Personal Statement medicine

Hi! Im gonna start off by saying I am in a complete panic and genuinely think at this point I have to take a gap year. Out of fear and procrastination, I still havent made a single draft for personal statement, my UCAT is 2nd September and only properly started revising 2 days ago, my GCSE results werent good so Im limited in the Universities I can even apply to, and the only work experience Iv had is a couple of months at a carehome, with my extracurricular activities just being swimming for less than a year. Iv read one medical book and that is it. I am lterally the bad example for all medics applying. I cant believe Iv left it all till now and I dont even knw where to start. I knw that Plymouth, Glasgow, Queens in Belfast don't focus on GCSE's which means my personal statement has to be very good. I knw people that have fnished their final draft and I havent even started! Im rambling but I even had a couple of online courses for work experience to do and I havent done them. Should I just do my best and opt for the gap year? Im drowning

it's up to you, but you wouldn't lose anything only the ucas fee by giving a go this year and then at least you would have had the experience to do better next time.

I just feel lke Im wasting an entire summer and consequently a whole year to the gap year if I dont get it right the first time.

Hi! Im gonna start off by saying I am in a complete panic and genuinely think at this point I have to take a gap year. Out of fear and procrastination, I still havent made a single draft for personal statement, my UCAT is 2nd September and only properly started revising 2 days ago, my GCSE results werent good so Im limited in the Universities I can even apply to, and the only work experience Iv had is a couple of months at a carehome, with my extracurricular activities just being swimming for less than a year. Iv read one medical book and that is it. I am lterally the bad example for all medics applying. I cant believe Iv left it all till now and I dont even knw where to start. I knw that Plymouth, Glasgow, Queens in Belfast don't focus on GCSE's which means my personal statement has to be very good. I knw people that have fnished their final draft and I havent even started! Im rambling but I even had a couple of online courses for work experience to do and I havent done them. Should I just do my best and opt for the gap year? Im drowning

I would definitely still apply this year, it's good practice and you may still get in. Worry less about doing courses and volunteering as a checklist and focus on what you have learnt from each experience instead. That should help with your personal statement.
Start making of all your achievements, interests and experiences related to medicine and then start fleshing it out with what you learnt.
I am a biology teacher and support my students with their UCAS applications, in happy to read a draft of yours if that is helpful.
What are your GCSE grades and predicted A level grades?

Thank you so much for this kind offer. My GCSE grades were of the new 9-1 grading system, 9 being the highest and equivalent to an A**. I got a 6, high B, in Physics and Biology, and a 5, low B some would say a C, in Chemistry and Maths. I haven't received any predicted grades for my A levels as my AS grades for exams I havent sat are released in the next two weeks. I'v taken Chemistry, Biology and English for A levels. Since I have left my comment from this morning I joined 2 online medical courses from Futurelearn that are 3 weeks long each but I can do them at the same time just because I feel this is the only way I can have some confidence in taking the personal statement on. Do you think theres any way I can be taking advantage of the pandemic in my personal statement? As in, are universities aware that we are unable to receive as much work experience as we had expected? I'm worried that my statement is going to be weak compared to others!

No one will have done much voluntary work, so I wouldn't worry too much about that.
I would really focus on improving subject knowledge whilst you have time, as your GCSE grades are quite low for medicine. It might be an idea to wait until you get your AS grades and go from there? What went wrong with your GCSEs? Have you been putting in significantly more effort and achieved high grades on AS tests so far? I would make sure you convey how much extra effort you have gone to during year 12 otherwise they'll take one look at your GCSEs and not read any further. Harsh I know, but they can afford to be picky as they get so many applicants.
Have you thought about a plan B? Would you want to do nursing or radiography instead for example? Or study biochemistry?

I did so badly on GCSE's because I didn't realise just hw important they were. I pray that the A levels I get from Year 13 can be good enough for them to ignore my GCSE's. My AS predicted that we received in February just to see where we are and how much we need to improve, I was getting a predicted BBB. This is the reason I'm counting on my personal statement and UCAT as they seriously are all that can save me, until I do my A Levels otherwise I'm looking at studying abroad in places such as Bulgaria, which doesnt appeal to me as I'd be so far from home. The issue is that I genuinely need a career as a doctor, as I love it so much. My grades don't reflect that at all and I know it would be so much easier for me to go into humanities as I got 9's in History, Religious Studies and a 7 in English but I don't enjoy nor like the careers that I may get into with those options at university. How would you suggest I convey my efforts in a personal statement? And would you know anythng of students studying abroad if they aren't accepted into uni's in the UK? I'm sorry I'm bombarding you with these questions but I'm at so much ease discussing this in this way with you rather than with my own teachers at school.

Thank you so much for this kind offer. My GCSE grades were of the new 9-1 grading system, 9 being the highest and equivalent to an A**. I got a 6, high B, in Physics and Biology, and a 5, low B some would say a C, in Chemistry and Maths. I haven't received any predicted grades for my A levels as my AS grades for exams I havent sat are released in the next two weeks. I'v taken Chemistry, Biology and English for A levels. Since I have left my comment from this morning I joined 2 online medical courses from Futurelearn that are 3 weeks long each but I can do them at the same time just because I feel this is the only way I can have some confidence in taking the personal statement on. Do you think theres any way I can be taking advantage of the pandemic in my personal statement? As in, are universities aware that we are unable to receive as much work experience as we had expected? I'm worried that my statement is going to be weak compared to others!

I know that there are universities abroad that offer medicine in English, I think they've got more competitive in recent years though. They're certainly an option! Have you thought about volunteering with St John's Ambulance? I would look into that too.
What is it about being a doctor that appeals to you? Specifically what about it makes you know you want to do that rather than being a nurse or work in the hospital lab?

There's a big reason why a majority of universities focus so much on GCSE grades-because they are the nearest predictor of how you will do in your A-levels (as the last big exams you sat). Its also going to raise big question marks about whether you would be able to handle the rigours of a medical degree. I applied for medicine originally but switched to a medical sciences degree-that was hard but I know from some of my friends who where medics that they had it a LOT harder. For reference, me "struggling" was after getting A*A*AA at A-level, and 3A*'s, 6A's and 2B's at GCSE, so degrees are not easy things by any means.

The only person I know who subsequently got onto a medical degree after getting a mix of A's and B's in sciences and Maths at GCSE did so AFTER doing a biology degree and getting and first class degree. If you were able to get predicted straight A's for your A-levels, looking back and seeing you didn't get A's at GCSE will make it seem very dubious. If there is any opportunity to resit them and boost those grades, I would take it, although if you are this late into your AS year I doubt that will be an option anymore. It sounds like you would stand a far better chance applying in a gap year after finishing your A-levels, if you did manage to get 3 A's (under these circumstances I imagine they would look more favourably on that then your GCSE's).

Your only other alternative is if you have something else which makes you "stand out" in some big way-i've read dozens of personal statements from medical students, and met others who did significant charitable work (I met one on my medical science course who is now studying medicine, who started her own award winning charity), started a business, really successful athletes etc. Or if you can prove some reason (e.g. health condition, traumatic event during exam time) why you didn't get the GCSE grades you probably hoped for.

My personal opinion, based on what you have said before? I know you may think I'm a real piece of crap for saying this, but I think its best to hear this now before you apply. Honestly, I think you will really struggle to sell yourself in anyway during your application, given the vast majority of other people applying will have far better GCSE's in addition to more experience. I've seen people with loads of each, including myself, struggle to even get interviews for med school

I welcome your honesty because I need that, i shouldn't make a false reality only to be seriously disappointed and disheartened after being rejected from every university I apply to. But I'm going to do all I can in the days I have to make my application count. I feel at ease thinking of taking a gap year because I can do all that I'm doing now but in a less rushed manner but I would seriously hate myself if I just accepted that I won't get into medical school and give u p entirely. What would you do if you were in my position? You have a month left of summer to make your personal statement stand out, and UCAT on the way. My thinking is that universities need a wide range of students, high achieving and those that have improved. This may be false for medicine but it is the only thought that is enabling me to think okay yeah it's not completely impossible. I understand you probably think it's pointless as you've seen so many high achievers not succeed so my chances are real low, but if this was you and you're gonna do all you can do make it count, is there anythng you suggest I do o r look into?

Thanks for taking this not as an insult-it wasn't meant as one, it is genuinely incredibly difficult to get into Medicine in the UK (or anywhere for that matter), I know as someone who tried for several years and eventually failed.

My advice would be that it wouldn't be worth applying this year to be honest-your application will likely look very weak in comparison to a sea of much stronger applications that they can choose from. Even with the grades I said I had before (A*A*AA at A-level and 9 GCSE's at A* or A), over a year of volunteering experience in a care home, numerous hobbies (playing an instrument and doing a sport), a month volunteering in Africa and eventually working in a care home during a gap year, the feedback I got from many universities was that my application simply wasn't strong enough. THAT is how competitive it can be, and this was ~6 years ago so it is almost certainly even more competitive now. The things you could do to stand out usually take months to cultivate (or doing something like volunteering for a very long time is the thing that can help you stand out), you only have months before an application is due so its incredibly difficult, especially with the pandemic going on. This will especially be the case given that, in my experience, a lot of people who apply for medicine do so in a gap year having previously been unsuccessful (at least that's what I saw when I went for interviews)

If you can apply in a gap year with great A-level results (at least A's in 3 subjects, maybe A* in some) and find some way to get in some great volunteering experience, then you might be able to attract enough attention to maybe get an interview if you pick the right universities to apply for. Alternatively, doing graduate entry medicine (doing a different degree, like biology/biomedical sciences first, then joining a graduate programme in ~4 years) may be better, if you can get a good 2:1 or 1st class degree and plenty of experience volunteering or something similar whilst doing that first degree. But this is a much bigger commitment, maybe more risky

Hi! Im gonna start off by saying I am in a complete panic and genuinely think at this point I have to take a gap year. Out of fear and procrastination, I still havent made a single draft for personal statement, my UCAT is 2nd September and only properly started revising 2 days ago, my GCSE results werent good so Im limited in the Universities I can even apply to, and the only work experience Iv had is a couple of months at a carehome, with my extracurricular activities just being swimming for less than a year. Iv read one medical book and that is it. I am lterally the bad example for all medics applying. I cant believe Iv left it all till now and I dont even knw where to start. I knw that Plymouth, Glasgow, Queens in Belfast don't focus on GCSE's which means my personal statement has to be very good. I knw people that have fnished their final draft and I havent even started! Im rambling but I even had a couple of online courses for work experience to do and I havent done them. Should I just do my best and opt for the gap year? Im drowning

Wait what??? You definitely have a chance of getting into medical school still!!
Personal statement - doesn't take agesss to make, don't worry about that
UCAT - you have plenty of time
GCSE results - its a shame it didnt go 'good' and that does limit you, but doesn't exclude every uni
Work experience - its not that deep, they care more about your reflections
Extracurricular - again, not deep

(p.s. im a medical student lol)

Thanks for taking this not as an insult-it wasn't meant as one, it is genuinely incredibly difficult to get into Medicine in the UK (or anywhere for that matter), I know as someone who tried for several years and eventually failed.

My advice would be that it wouldn't be worth applying this year to be honest-your application will likely look very weak in comparison to a sea of much stronger applications that they can choose from. Even with the grades I said I had before (A*A*AA at A-level and 9 GCSE's at A* or A), over a year of volunteering experience in a care home, numerous hobbies (playing an instrument and doing a sport), a month volunteering in Africa and eventually working in a care home during a gap year, the feedback I got from many universities was that my application simply wasn't strong enough. THAT is how competitive it can be, and this was ~6 years ago so it is almost certainly even more competitive now. The things you could do to stand out usually take months to cultivate (or doing something like volunteering for a very long time is the thing that can help you stand out), you only have months before an application is due so its incredibly difficult, especially with the pandemic going on. This will especially be the case given that, in my experience, a lot of people who apply for medicine do so in a gap year having previously been unsuccessful (at least that's what I saw when I went for interviews)

If you can apply in a gap year with great A-level results (at least A's in 3 subjects, maybe A* in some) and find some way to get in some great volunteering experience, then you might be able to attract enough attention to maybe get an interview if you pick the right universities to apply for. Alternatively, doing graduate entry medicine (doing a different degree, like biology/biomedical sciences first, then joining a graduate programme in ~4 years) may be better, if you can get a good 2:1 or 1st class degree and plenty of experience volunteering or something similar whilst doing that first degree. But this is a much bigger commitment, maybe more risky

I would not recommend trying to do medicine by graduate entry medicine as this is even more competitive than applying for medicine the regular way and its much more expensive as you have to study for 8 years rather than 5. It would be wiser to take a gap year or two to try to get into medicine rather than study a degree you're not super interested in, in the hope of being able to study medicine later.

You really really have to focus on your UCAT, its a make or break, if you don't do good in that it'll be very very difficult to get into medicine for this year. So UCAT is number 1 priority.
Ignore extracurricular activities for now (as in you can do it for your own happiness/hobby, but you don't need to do it for university applications)
Write a personal statement draft - don't take too long - but personal statement can wait, its not that hard to write.
Couple months work experience at carehome is amazing!!! So don't worry about work experience.
Nail down your UCAT!!!
I've got a youtube series on how to smash out the UCAT if you want to check it out: https://youtu.be/21z9K0c9vvc

I did so badly on GCSE's because I didn't realise just hw important they were. I pray that the A levels I get from Year 13 can be good enough for them to ignore my GCSE's. My AS predicted that we received in February just to see where we are and how much we need to improve, I was getting a predicted BBB. This is the reason I'm counting on my personal statement and UCAT as they seriously are all that can save me, until I do my A Levels otherwise I'm looking at studying abroad in places such as Bulgaria, which doesnt appeal to me as I'd be so far from home. The issue is that I genuinely need a career as a doctor, as I love it so much. My grades don't reflect that at all and I know it would be so much easier for me to go into humanities as I got 9's in History, Religious Studies and a 7 in English but I don't enjoy nor like the careers that I may get into with those options at university. How would you suggest I convey my efforts in a personal statement? And would you know anythng of students studying abroad if they aren't accepted into uni's in the UK? I'm sorry I'm bombarding you with these questions but I'm at so much ease discussing this in this way with you rather than with my own teachers at school.