how do i write a personal statement for medicine?

hi!! i'm applying for undergraduate medicine for 2025 entry and want to finish writing at least the first draft of my personal statement by the end of summer, but i have no clue how to start it off and what to even include in it. has anyone got any tips on how to start, what to write about and especially what the structure of it should look like ?
(it would also be useful if anyone has any examples of personal statements that got all 4 offers)
thank you!!

It is important to note that this year the UCAS application process has changed, and rather than a personal statement you are required to answer three questions. However, the same 4000 character limit applies and these questions are what a well structured personal statement should have addressed in previous years anyway:
Think of it that UCAS have provided you with a basic structure for your personal statement and it is upto you how you divide the characters between each answer. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO START! Just think about these questions for a few hours or days and jot down ideas when they come to you, bear in mind that admission tutors are often asking for your own opinion on these things which are just as important, if not more, than what it is you did. For instance, don't just say 'I did the gold Duke of Edinburgh award' - you also need to say what you got out of it, did it make you more resilient? If so then say why, i.e. I learned to stay away from home and look after myself. Universities want to see that you have critical thinking skills in addition to what your experiences or qualifications may have given you. Once you have your ideas just start by expanding them out, say everything you want to say - it doesn't matter at this stage if you use 6000 or 8000 characters, get it all down on paper. And then ruthlessly edit it, you'll find that once it's all on paper that some things stand out as just more important things to say than others. Think about descriptions, do you need to say 'I spent every weekend for a year helping out out at a day care center for the elderly and learned a lot about compassion and interacting with people in difficult situations' (172 characters), when you can just say 'I built interpersonal and collaborative skills when regularly volunteering at a care center for the elderly' (107 characters). Both of these convey exactly the same information about what you did and what you got out of it, but with a lot less characters which frees up space for something else to say. Once you've edited and edited, go back to your original draft, have you removed something that needs to go back in - has anything else occurred to you while you have been writing that should go in. Draft and redraft until it fits the word count and you've said everything you want to, then get somebody else you trust to read it - but please bear in mind that this in YOUR personal statement, if somebody disagrees with it then discuss it with them but it is your final decision whether to take it on board or not. Don't just change it because your Mum or Dad thinks it is important you must cram in every extra curricular you've ever done as most universities want the curated version of the most relevant stuff not everything. Most schools have a teacher who will help with university applications, see if they can read it or they have somebody else who can. Again listen to their opinion, review what you've written and see if you want to change it as they suggest. You are doing the right thing by starting now, as you can see this is a process that will at the very least take a few weeks to do properly and possibly longer, but once you've done it you will have a personal statement that you can stand by and be proud of whatever the outcome of your application. Best of luck for your application!

It is important to note that this year the UCAS application process has changed, and rather than a personal statement you are required to answer three questions. However, the same 4000 character limit applies and these questions are what a well structured personal statement should have addressed in previous years anyway:
Think of it that UCAS have provided you with a basic structure for your personal statement and it is upto you how you divide the characters between each answer. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO START! Just think about these questions for a few hours or days and jot down ideas when they come to you, bear in mind that admission tutors are often asking for your own opinion on these things which are just as important, if not more, than what it is you did. For instance, don't just say 'I did the gold Duke of Edinburgh award' - you also need to say what you got out of it, did it make you more resilient? If so then say why, i.e. I learned to stay away from home and look after myself. Universities want to see that you have critical thinking skills in addition to what your experiences or qualifications may have given you. Once you have your ideas just start by expanding them out, say everything you want to say - it doesn't matter at this stage if you use 6000 or 8000 characters, get it all down on paper. And then ruthlessly edit it, you'll find that once it's all on paper that some things stand out as just more important things to say than others. Think about descriptions, do you need to say 'I spent every weekend for a year helping out out at a day care center for the elderly and learned a lot about compassion and interacting with people in difficult situations' (172 characters), when you can just say 'I built interpersonal and collaborative skills when regularly volunteering at a care center for the elderly' (107 characters). Both of these convey exactly the same information about what you did and what you got out of it, but with a lot less characters which frees up space for something else to say. Once you've edited and edited, go back to your original draft, have you removed something that needs to go back in - has anything else occurred to you while you have been writing that should go in. Draft and redraft until it fits the word count and you've said everything you want to, then get somebody else you trust to read it - but please bear in mind that this in YOUR personal statement, if somebody disagrees with it then discuss it with them but it is your final decision whether to take it on board or not. Don't just change it because your Mum or Dad thinks it is important you must cram in every extra curricular you've ever done as most universities want the curated version of the most relevant stuff not everything. Most schools have a teacher who will help with university applications, see if they can read it or they have somebody else who can. Again listen to their opinion, review what you've written and see if you want to change it as they suggest. You are doing the right thing by starting now, as you can see this is a process that will at the very least take a few weeks to do properly and possibly longer, but once you've done it you will have a personal statement that you can stand by and be proud of whatever the outcome of your application. Best of luck for your application!