• Recognise some of the key attributes that medical schools are looking for in potential candidates. Check out this link! 

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• Tailor your personal statement to the kind of university you wish to apply to! Do a little research and gauge what sort of student your university of choice is looking for. 

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• The personal statement is one of the first pieces of documentation that admission committees can use to differentiate between high-achieving students. That is why it is important to be engaging, and have a little bit of your personality shine through your writing! 

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• Show don’t tell-Don’t list out everything you’ve ever done. It’s not a shopping list. Medical schools want to see what you have gained from your experiences, rather than know every little thing you’ve done. Reflecting on your work experience etc. is more important than saying how many hours you spent on the wards- this is a valuable skill that you’ll have to use throughout your career and medical schools want to know that you’re able to do so effectively!

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• Remember to have the writing flow well. Just because you have to list a bunch of things that would demonstrate what a great candidate you are doesn’t mean that the writing should be janky and incongruous.

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• Have a list of ALL the attributes you want to be able to show medical schools- allot experiences that demonstrate those and pick the best 3-4 to talk about in your personal statement.

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• Be realistic-Avoid cliches like "I knew I wanted to be a doctor the second I exited the womb. These kind of bombastic sentences don’t add anything except perhaps your naivete and lack of reflection about WHY you want to be a doctor and WHAT would make you a good doctor.