There is no denying that first impressions count, and when writing your medicine personal statement, this is most definitely the case.

Many say that the introduction is the most important part of your medicine personal statement. Others say you should write the personal statement and then construct an awe-inspiring introduction at the end.

Finding the Balance

Be careful, though. It’s not a novel or a Broadway show; you don’t want to be too theatrical. If you can think of a punchy opening sentence which has the right level of intrigue, then you should use it.

Try not to start with ‘I am applying to this course because…’ as it is simply the most basic opening you could possibly choose. If you can find a happy medium between dull and extravagant, you will have your unique opening line.

The key thing to remember is to be succinct and draw the reader in. This is a personal statement, so obviously, a personal touch is welcomed. Get straight into what studying medicine and science means to you as an individual.

Whilst your medicine personal statement is formal, it doesn’t need to be filled with academic terminology. So long as it is not peppered in slang, you need not be too fluffy with the language. After all, the quicker you can get to the point in proper English, the better.

In this blog, we have collated some of the most important things to consider when creating your strong and bold medicine personal statement introduction.

Engage & Intrigue

The most important thing is to start with why you want to study medicine.

Get to the point quickly and address why you are enthusiastic and excited at the prospect of a career in medicine. Your interest in the course is the biggest thing, and should be clearly addressed in your opening paragraph.

Draw the reader in with something interesting, relevant and specific in your opening line. If you can make it something current, that would be impressive. This doesn’t mean you should mention popular culture; it is more if there is something relevant relating to medicine in the news or up for debate, and it feels right to mention it, feel free.

Standout Points

When planning your personal statement overall, if you highlight the most important points, it will be easier to round them up for the introduction.

Choose elements of your experience, personality and academia which complement one another to show who you are as an individual.

If there is even one standout point which will define you as a league above your competition, be sure to mention it in the introduction. When the reader has this unique point in their head at the start, they may be more likely to judge your application more optimistically.

While it is great to show confidence, don’t be arrogant, rude or act like you believe you’re better than everyone else. This is not a positive trait to have, especially within the medical profession, and if you come across in a negative manner, it is unlikely your application will progress.

Remember that the admissions teams are looking for a well-rounded view of you, and you will need to tick boxes across the board to stand a chance at success.

It may be helpful to ask a tutor to check through your introduction closely, as well as the rest of your medicine personal statement, to make sure you display the right level of confidence in your abilities.

Don’t Overthink

You may have been thinking about your medicine personal statement up to a year before its submission. From the outset, you may be thinking about the perfect opening line or the punchiest opening paragraph.

Try not to overthink it too much. Don’t spend weeks fretting over your introduction.

To be honest, while the introduction is there to set the scene, it doesn’t stand alone. The rest of the personal statement needs to have quality which matches the introduction. If you can sustain top quality throughout the whole medicine personal statement, then your introduction is bound to be of great quality too.

Be original and honest. While the universities want to get an idea of what you are like as a person, using a joke as your opening line, particularly when applying for medicine, might not be the best idea. Originality, yes, but a sense of humour may be a step too far.

Get to the point and don’t wing it.

For an example of a successful medicine personal statement have a look at our analysis blog which will guide you step by step why that particular medicine personal statement was successful.

Introducing your Medical Personal Statement

We hope that these tips will help you to construct an introduction which showcases your personality and your aspirations within medicine. Try to put as much effort and thought into the entire medicine personal statement as you do for the introduction; it will pay off!

If, once you have completed the statement and nailed the introduction, you may want to get a second opinion before you submit it. At Medicine Answered, our personal statement review service includes a review by a professional medical admissions editor and a fully qualified doctor. The doctor checks the medicine-related information and provides feedback whereas the editor will suggest any grammatical or structural changes, making sure it is the best it can be.

If you would like us to review your whole application as well as the medicine personal statement, our 360-degree application review is also available.

Feel free to get in touch with us about any questions regarding your application to study medicine.