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Personal statement

concept · in 23 sources (2017–2018)

The written statement an applicant submits with a university application; for medicine, read before deciding who is interviewed.

Sources by year: 2017: 18 · 2018: 5

Also known as: PS, medicine personal statement

Threads

Often together

What comes up in the same parts of the videos; the number is how many parts.

Work experience (5) · Medicine interview (10) · UKCAT (2) · Multiple mini interview (2) · University of Oxford (3) · University of Cambridge (6) · BMAT (admissions) (2)

What the videos say

The most important statements of each year; all statements.

2018

  • 2018-02-17 · Medicine Application - No offers? — recommendation: Ali advises reapplicants to medicine to go through every part of their application with friends who got in and students in the years above, and ask where the weak points were: personal statement, work experience or interviews. — 00:02:33
    • a guest: The same student advises rejected applicants to ask for feedback and send their personal statement around, and not to be put off: medicine is a lifelong commitment, so wanting it in 2017 means still wanting it in 2018. — 00:16:06
  • 2018-05-29 · Live Stream - Hangout — Ali: To strengthen his personal statement over the summer, Ali volunteered and learned close-up magic, which made an interesting line item. — 00:21:27
  • …and 4 statements more in 2018 — all statements of 2018

2017

  • 2017-09-23 · How to write a Medicine Personal Statement - 13 tips — recommendation: a guest: One student advises against starting a medicine personal statement with the introduction, the hardest part, which this student wrote after the conclusion. — 00:00:24
    • Jake's number one advice: put nothing in the personal statement you are not prepared to defend; if you say you have read something or done some experience, be ready to talk about it. — 00:04:32
    • Ali advises making the personal statement flow with connecting phrases that lead the reader through your thinking, for example opening a paragraph with why you arranged work experience, even if that costs a line such as a Duke of Edinburgh bronze award. — 00:07:22
  • 2017-10-05 · How to prepare for Medicine Interviews — recommendation: a guest: A student prepared for medicine interviews by writing down every question they might ask and shortlisting the work experience to talk about, such as a year as a healthcare assistant. — 00:01:01
  • 2017-10-17 · Cambridge Medicine Interview - Experiences of 8 students — announcement: Ali says a dedicated video of tips for the Oxbridge interview is coming out within the next few days. — 00:00:50
  • 2017-10-24 · 6 tips for Medicine MMIs - Multiple Mini Interviews — announcement: Ali says many more videos are coming about medicine interviews and other parts of the medicine application, alongside occasional vlogs about life as a medical student. — 00:03:42
  • 2017-10-28 · Oxbridge Medicine Interview - 15 Tips (Oxford / Cambridge) — recommendation: a guest: A student advises revising science and maths for the Oxbridge interview: know the A-level chemistry and biology syllabus and its principles well; complicated concepts are needed only if your personal statement mentions them. — 00:03:53
    • a guest: The student's Cambridge interview was about the sciences, not why medicine or why this college; the student advises focusing on science but having your personal statement and extracurriculars ready, as some colleges ask about them. — 00:11:20
  • 2017-11-15 · Medicine Interview Tips - Dealing with Nerves — recommendation: a guest: The speaker advises giving even your parents your personal statement to question you on, as they will probably ask many of the same predictable questions interview tutors would. (hedged) — 00:07:40
  • 2017-11-21 · Oxbridge Medicine Interview - Q&A — recommendation: Ali's rule of thumb: for anything your personal statement mentions, such as dialysis or diabetes, read its Wikipedia article and be able to talk about it if asked. — 00:04:35
    • Ali advises applicants who mention schizophrenia, depression or anxiety in their personal statement to be ready for scientific questions about it. — 00:08:25
  • 2017-12-24 · Finishing finals - Cambridge University medical student VLOG #20 — Ali: After the exam Ali spends a few hours editing a medical ethics video, which he had neglected during the exams; three hours later, while his friends went bowling, it is still not done. — 00:02:08
  • …and 42 statements more in 2017 — all statements of 2017