How to write your personal statement for medical school application

Description of "Volunteering at foothills hospital"
At the age of 15, I found what quickly became a great passion of mine: working with patients on the palliative care ward. During my time with Art a la Carte, I "carted" various paintings around to patients. They could borrow as many of them as they wanted, and I would talk to them as I helped put their new paintings on their walls. My favorite moments were when a patient would find a painting that reminded them of their personal life. Whether it was of a skyscape or a Spaniel, it always held a story, and I loved to see the emotion in their eyes as they fondly remembered their past. Occasionally, I would meet a patient who did not want a painting, but wanted someone to visit with them. I remember one elderly lady who invited me in and asked me to sit next to the window with her. Despite the limited view, she appreciated what she had. We sat together happily admiring the sunshine in the parking lot below. I began to see that we are more than organs, skin and bones, and that healing can be an emotional process as much as it is a physical one.

Comments
This description is certainly not perfect and can be much improved - but it is here to convey a few key concepts. The essay conveys emotion creatively. What people do not enjoy reading are statements such as, "It was an incredible experience I will never forget" or "I will give 110% if I am accepted", which are used in the majority of personal statements. Limit hyperbole. It dilutes the meaning of your sentences. Anyone can say that they are compassionate. Rather than coming flat out and just saying it, convey your strengths by talking about what you learned from your experiences, much the way this applicant did. The last line is a good example. Instead of just saying "I am a compassionate person who will be nice to patients", the applicant comes at it from a fresh angle and uses a lesson he learned to convey something about himself.

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The personal statement is your opportunity to explain why you want to become a doctor and to talk about your learnings from your work experience and the qualities you have that distinguish you from other applicants. it is important to know that many medical schools give guidelines on what they would like you to include in your personal statement and although they are very similar from one medical school to another, it is important to check specifically for the medical schools you are applying to.

For example, at the University of St Andrews, applicants are asked to discuss why they are choosing medicine, what work experience they have in a caring role, their interests/hobies, and anything else the they want to tell the admissions committee about themselves. The university uses a standard measuring sheet to score the UCAS form out of 50 points on 7 measures: academic ability, motivation for medicine, a realistic understanding of medicine (including hands-on experience of caring and observing healthcare in hospital and community settings), self-motivation and responsibility, communication skills, ability to work with others and other unusual qualities or life-experience.

At the University of Bristol, the personal statement is scored on six parameters, each given a score out of 4: realistic interest in medicine, informed about a career in medicine, demonstrated commitment to helping others, demonstrates a wide range of interests, contribution to school and community activities, and range of non-academic personal achievements.