Tell me about any work experience you have undertaken and what you feel you have gained from it.

This is an example taken from my own personal statement centered around my work experience. "Witnessing a consultation between a physician and a young woman diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the neurology department showed me the importance of the quality of the patient-doctor relationship. I was deeply engaged by the doctor's calm and empathic nature when broaching a life-changing diagnosis, and the positive impact it made on the patient's perception of her treatment. The importance of utilising individual skills was clear, as a range of staff, from occupational therapists to specialist nurses were all vital as individual cogs in the smooth running of the care and support of the patient. In general practice, I observed the doctor use her judgement by adapting her language for a case of suspected breast cancer in a young girl; there was less medical jargon to ease the distress that inevitably comes with the word 'cancer'. Through the use of compassion and good communication, the doctor was able to establish trust and rapport with her patient. Moreover shadowing a range of staff from a phlebotomist to a diabetic nurse has allowed me to appreciate the variety of roles in the primary care team." I think the key is to be incredibly personal and very specific to your own situation and experience when talking about what you have learned. Med schools will often dismiss personal statements which sound generic and/or fake often because they are not specific enough and do not thoroughly show your interest in your experinece. I found it useful to make a mindmap of the key things I saw during my work experience, how I felt about them and what I learnt from them and developed the key points further.