Biomedical Sciences Personal Statement Example 42

The way in which the human body functions and can be affected by disease has truly fascinated me, particularly in relation to the body's reactions to modern medicines. Medical advances in society, for example oncology treatments, have greatly influenced my desire to study a degree relating to human anatomy and the factors that can alter it.

In order to grasp a practical view of modern medicine I engaged in work experience in ********** Hospital, shadowing consultants on various wards. During my time in the renal ward I was astounded by the way dialysis can enhance a person's quality of life in preparation for a potential transplant or as a lifelong treatment. I also observed an optometrist who used visual acuity tests and retinal imaging to detect diseases which damage the optic nerve such as glaucoma and macular degeneration. Both of these work placements fuelled my desire to undertake a degree relating to physiology as they highlighted to me the many factors that can influence the body. Witnessing my grandfather's deterioration from Parkinson's disease awakened an interest in the development of not only treatments for the management of disorders affecting the central nervous system, but also the medicines that can be used to treat genetic diseases.

My motivation towards science in general is reflected in my A-level choices. Biology allows me to understand the complexity of the human body and provides a theoretical approach to the way in which the body works, whereas chemistry develops my analytical skills, as well as my understanding of the many elaborate chemical reactions that help to maintain life.

I currently work in a local pharmacy where I have been exposed to the pharmaceutical side of medicine; through this I appreciate the intricacy of the development of pharmaceuticals so that they can be designed to effectively cure diseases within the human body. What initially developed my interest in this area of medicine was the variety of medications readily available, specifically the range of antibiotics that have been discovered that carry out the same functions but are chemically different from one another. I am greatly intrigued by the way antibiotics can be used to control a simple bacterial infection, but can also lead to antibiotic resistance due to their overuse, resulting in advanced illnesses such as MRSA which could potentially become one of the greatest dangers in the future.

As part of the Erasmus+ project in Year 13, I was selected as one of ten pupils that travelled to Latvia. The experience helped me to gain valuable life skills, develop relationships with people of multiple different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and enabled me to develop a greater insight into the opportunities available in terms of international job prospects and travelling as an elective aspect of university.

In my role as a peer mentor for children in the learning support centre of our College, I helped the students with areas of classwork they found difficult. This has allowed me to obtain essential interpersonal communication skills. I was also elected to be a prefect enabling me to improve my leadership skills, and feel that I am making a positive contribution to the running of the College as part of a team. Aside from my academic studies I am a dedicated member of choir, and have a keen interest in music; I presently hold a Grade 4 in flute as well as spending my free time teaching myself guitar.

Ultimately, I view myself as a well-rounded student with excellent time management skills that enable me to meet the demands that study, part-time work and hobbies place upon me. My aspiration to study a degree relating to medical research is driven by the ideology that medicine and pharmaceuticals are consistently evolving and that society as a whole will greatly rely on these advancements for its health and well-being in the future. I feel that I am ready and able to play my part in the development of this field of medicine.