Medicine Personal Statement Example 26

I'm the sort of person who doesn't like to give up on something if I know I can achieve it. After finding a broken laptop in a bin I decided to take it home and repair it. I was advised by computer experts that it was a lost cause as the laptop was irreparable.

However after a week of researching the problem I had sourced a replacement part and had repaired the laptop, which I am now using for my honours year in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Dundee. You may be thinking to yourself at this moment, "Why Medicine?".

Well from an early age I have been fascinated by the workings of the human body, which is far more complex and interesting than a computer. At school I focused on science, as I enjoyed the challenge of solving problems, rationalising results and getting the rewards of a conclusion.

This reinforced my interest in medicine as a career and prompted me to take the opportunity of a work placement in a local GP surgery working in the reception. It felt rewarding helping the public by doing seemingly trivial things like talking to patients and helping them. The experience was short and left me craving more so I decided to organise a fortnight shadowing a consultant cardiologist in hospital the following summer. This submersed me deeper into the medical environment by letting me see many aspects of medicine.

I enjoyed the added freedom of being able to communicate more with patients and empathise with them. The most memorable part for me was watching operations like an Angiogram and Angioplasty which were fascinating to me because they were simple, quick and effective at dealing with patients suffering from coronary disease, a problem increasing in our society today.

When I reached university I decided to take an accelerated life sciences degree in a medically related field. I enjoyed the benefits of working on cadavers and getting a more insightful view on the workings of the human body and how fragile it is. However it lacked the clinical aspects of medicine which I am really interested in.

For my dissertation project this year I decided to base it in the field of Systems Biology. This combines my interests of biology and computer science. I can then discuss how these disciplines are used to model complex metabolic systems in the cell in order to gain a better understanding of them and the benefits this knowledge will bring to medicine.

As well as academics I have taken on other responsibilities this year. I enrolled as a student support assistant, living in halls to give pastoral care to around five hundred students. This involves me regularly checking up on the halls community and providing comfort and support to any of the students feeling vulnerable or down. It has allowed me to develop my inter-personal skills more and benefit the student community.

When I am not busy with studies or other responsibilities I like to relax through my extracurricular activities including walking, swimming, golf and the student societies. I enjoy listening to and playing music, in particular the guitar which I taught myself and thereafter organised a charity rock concert for Water Aid in which my band played at the end of show and did a good job of clearing the audience out!

Now I am an active member of the bands society helping out in the running of events for them and taking part myself. Being a team player is also important in the medical environment.

At school I was a member of the cadets and had gained the rank of Sergeant meaning I was responsible for the organisation and welfare of twelve cadets allowing them to complete tasks together effectively.

For the three years that I have been at university it has allowed me to enjoy many experiences and has given me time to reflect on myself and my motives for a career in medicine. I am driven and prepared to handle a challenging but rewarding course and I hope that I will be able to realise my full potential and perform in a role that is productive for both myself and society.