PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE Biomedical Science Personal Statement

The misapprehension that healthcare practitioners are the only people who help those in medical need is one which is difficult to shift, yet – clearly - the research conducted by the biomedical community is on par with - if not superior to - the work of doctors on hospital wards.

Biomedical Science provides the research about the human body’s processes and systems, its molecular and cellular structures and how health and wellbeing can be maintained and improved through breakthroughs in toxicology and pharmacology. My eagerness to help those in need without being on the medical front line but, rather, by providing those on the front line with the means to help the sick and vulnerable, is what has inspired this application to study Biomedical Science. On a visit a local hospital I saw first-hand the valuable contribution of the biomedical community; experiencing the labs at the hospital offered me an insight into what it would be like working in such a lab and an appreciation of how hard the biomedical scientists work. This insight has only enhanced my aspiration to study the subject at university and, ultimately, have a career, in Biomedical Science. Attending a Biomedical Science masterclass at a local university was also influential in my making this application as I started to appreciate what studying Biomedical Science would really be like, as I heard students’ opinions on the subject as well as enjoying the style and content of the lecture.

My choice of Biology and Chemistry at A Level has reinforced my interest in this degree as both subjects have enabled me to view the world around me in a new light, because I have started to understand the fascinating biochemical processes which underpin life on the planet and, indeed, the planet itself. The subjects have offered many opportunities in both accessing relevant subject matter and in developing appropriate laboratory procedures in terms of teamwork, the safe conduct of experiments and careful recording and evaluation of data. My third subject, History, has offered interesting insights into the ways in which disease, especially sexually transmitted diseases, were viewed in the 19th Century as we studied Josephine Butler’s attempt to repeal the Contagious Diseases Act. The subject has also prepared me for university with its emphasis on research, essay writing and Harvard referencing. It is the sciences, though, which have offered me opportunities to develop my personal qualities as I have been invited to support younger students in both Chemistry and Biology GCSE lessons. This has improved my self-confidence as I have found myself able to work effectively with them in improving their understanding. I have also been able to help Year 12 with their current work in Biology which has served to consolidate my own knowledge and allowed me to form a mutually beneficial relationship with other students studying the same subject as me. I have been fortunate in having many opportunities throughout my school life to develop qualities and skills which will allow me to make positive contributions to the university community. Progressing from prefect to senior prefect, in 6th Form, I have encountered potentially stressful situations which I have defused by applying thought-out approaches and effective leadership. I demonstrated similar skills when completing my Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award, which also offered many opportunities for teamwork.

During my free time, I enjoy reading around my subjects and am an avid reader of both Biological Science Review and Chemistry Review as I find it fascinating to expand my knowledge by keeping up with current biomedical advances. I also recently read Matt Ridley’s ‘Genome’ which fired my interest in the building blocks of existence. Observing the labs at the hospital showed me how hard biomedical scientists work and my wider reading has made me aware that my chosen course will be challenging, but I am more than prepared to take on these challenges.