"The aim of Medicine is not to know the disease, but to relieve the suffering it causes.

" This
quotation from Miguel Angel Garcia sums up why Medicine is my career choice. A close
relative of mine fought cancer for two years. I was much younger then, and did not
understand why the doctors only wanted to "make her comfortable", but now I do; and that is
partly why I want to become a physician myself: not only to work on cures for various
diseases but also to make ill people feel better, because, though I admire research, I first and
foremost see myself as a practising physician. Also, I have been fascinated with babies and
pregnant women ever since a child, so fascinated in fact that for two years running I insisted
every morning on my mother telling me the story of my birth. From an early age on, then, this
interest has led me gain a fair amount of knowledge on the human body and how it works.
I joined the Scouts when I was six years old, and continued with them for five years. During
that time, I received a First-Aid badge and was nominated "Guide" of my group, which meant
that I had to lead the way during orientation tests and hikes. These made me develop
leadership, communication and organisational skills that I have used and valued ever since.
More recently, I tried to volunteer at a local hospital, but the Portuguese NHS only accepts
helpers over 18 years old. Instead, therefore, I volunteered at the Lisbon Zoo every weekend
from December 2007 through April 2008. This experience has taught me to deal with
unexpected situations, because visitors were directed to me whenever they had a question
and because I met new people every week, as the volunteer body was constantly changing. I
will take a First-Aid course with the Portuguese Red Cross from October 13th till 18th, and I
have been accepted for a week of volunteering in the Health Centre of Sao Roque, in the
island of Pico, Azores, during the month of April 2009 under the supervision of Dr. Merces
Maciel.
Physical welfare is very important for me, and sports play a big role in my life. I have
practised swimming for 12 years and, over the course of time, I have practised other sports,
such as Taekwondo and Yoga, that taught me to relax in stressful times and environments. I
feel that such knowledge can be very helpful during University Exams time and while coping
with the busy life of a Medical student. In school, I have always been an excellent student,
with an interest not only in science-related disciplines, but also in Literature, Philosophy and
languages. I have always liked reading books, such as The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a
Hat and other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks or Metamorphosis by Kafka, that introduced me
to the intricacies of the mind, with which I am fascinated this year in my Psychology course. In
Philosophy, I have a deep interest in Ethics, a theme I believe to be very close to Medicine.
Next to Portuguese, I can speak and write English and French and can handle Spanish quite
tolerably. I will sit the TOEFL on November 22nd.
A trait of my personality which I think differentiates me from other applicants is my creativity. I
am a very creative and artistic person; I write poetry and make short movies. Creativity is, in
my opinion, a very important characteristic of a good physician, as it is a help during
investigation processes and in difficult diagnosis situations. In the future, I would like to
specialise in Obstetrics, Paediatrics or Internal Medicine. I have made the decision of
studying in the UK because I believe that British universities rate among the finest in the
world and because I want to learn from the top-people in the fast changing field of Medicine. If
I am given this opportunity, I am sure that it will be a wonderful experience that I will savour
and cherish for the rest of my life, and that will make all the difference when it comes to
advancing my career plans







Growing up in a developing country during a war, I have been through a lot. Having spent
most of my childhood in hospital, being treated for severe injuries. I have come to realize how
incredibly complex and vulnerable the human body is. The human anatomy first inspired me
at an early age. Even then, I was fascinated by the extreme complexity and sensitivity of the
human body. As child I was curious, enthusiastic and full of questions, I wanted to know
everything about the amazing machine. This was (inspired me to do) one of the main
reasons I did my issue report on FOP, one of the rarest and most intriguing diseases as
medical interaction can (kick off)be kick-start of new flare ups, eventually the patients organs
become prisoned within their own skeleton and they may die.(suffocate)
Being a General Surgeon, my father has also been a great inspiration to me. A great role
model, he made me aware of the physical, social, emotional and educational (academic)
demands of a medical career. Caring for my family and my mother who suffers from severe
chronic foot pain and depression, made me realize how stressful times trigger many negative
feelings. Being able to sustain a positive family life, care for my ill mother, study for college
and carry out my part time work has made me keen to want to help others who suffer most.
(To further my insight into medical field I have taken several step from an early age)In order
to achieve this I have taken several steps. At the age of 16, I started working for a company
called xxxxx during the summer holidays, where my duties included: going to hospitals and
care homes to gather clothes for washing. Having gained some valuable experience, I then
began working as technical assistant for xxxx. I received excellent guidance, so much so that
after only two weeks I was responsible for the oxygen tubes and reducing valves supplied to
hospitals and care homes.
To further my insight into medical field, I arranged a volunteering job in for three weeks,
where my first week was spent at xxxx University with medical students. I spent( the
remainder of my time) the second and third week at the xxxx hospital where I was shown how
to do X-rays, draw blood for analysis and simple suturing techniques. ( I was able to get close
to patients helping and caring for them where I could such as bringing them their lunch,
empathizing helping them with their medication this included tablet and sometimes serums) I
was also involved in helping patients to take their medication, this included tablets, injections
and serums. It was a challenging task as the majority of patients were illiterate, I thoroughly
enjoyed seeing the progress of patients everyday and found the experience rewarding. I
spent the remainder of my time at the orthopedic centre where I closely observed a leg
amputation. I learnt the importance of team work and realized the amount of pressure on the
doctors to make quick decision in order to save lives.
Being actively involved with elderly patients, medical students and doctors (were very
rewarding) as I have greatly enhanced my communication skills and also strengthened my
ambition to becoming a doctor. I am currently also volunteering for St Johns Ambulance,
where I treat patients with small injuries such as bruises to unconscious, non breathing and
injured patients at event.
Having done some volunteering as well as paid jobs in different countries, To increase my
understanding, experience ( and to keep up to date) about the medical field in Britain, I have
arranged a work experience placement on the 9th November 2009 and a long term
volunteering position at the orthopedic centre. Here, I hope to gain more experience and
expand management skills, communication skills, and time-keeping skills.
Beside my education and part time work, I have always enjoyed being active in the
community. In 2005, a friend and I organized a committee to teach religion lesson once a
week. We also organized local trips and sport activities. It was not only the kids that enjoyed
but the entire village loved our trips! Also I have been a member of football club RKVVO from
2002-2007, where I trained twice a week and played against the clubs all over the county. I
have been the top scorer in the last two seasons. Being involved with different age groups
from different backgrounds I have gained communicational, organizational and leadership
skills which are crucial in order to succeed as a doctor. My skills were recognized when I was
chosen along with other team mate to train young pupils
The human body is undoubtedly one of the greatest natural phenomena known to man, and
in its sheer complexity and intricacy is the inevitability of something going wrong, thus
highlighting the tremendous role that doctors play in ensuring that the many diverse systems
of the body are working flawlessly. The challenges faced by doctors on a daily basis are
perhaps what make a career in medicine one of the most demanding, strenuous, and yet
rewarding professions there is.
My genuine interest in the workings of the human body is what led me to study biology at A-
Level, in which I became enticed by the meticulous workings of the various bodily systems,
such as the heart and lungs. To strengthen my understanding in a clinical environment, I
undertook a 2-week work placement at [NAME OF HOSPITAL] Hospital Heart Unit. I was
able to observe ECG scans and talk to patients about their experiences and medical
conditions. The opportunity to work in a real-life environment greatly enhanced my listening
skills, an aptitude vital in any good doctor and the experience proved invaluable in providing
me with a realistic perception of hospital life. I discovered that although doctors are constantly
faced with many different situations, the key to successful patient care lies in a
compassionate, empathetic doctor, a role which I believe I will be able to embody.
Wanting to learn more about general practice, I undertook another work placement at a GP
surgery. I was given the opportunity to talk to doctors and patients, observe routine checks on
patients, and work at reception, from which I was able to learn about how a general practice
is run. My placement at the surgery illustrated to me the importance of communication
between doctors and their patients, and the serious consequences of the breakdown of
communication. As a multi-lingual, I was able to draw on my ability to speak English, Punjabi
and Urdu, by conveying requests between patients and reception staff.
To gain a deeper insight into the relevance of pharmacology in patient care, and to improve
my skills as an independent learner, I recently completed an Open University short course in
molecules, medicines and drugs. I learned about how commonly used drugs, such as aspirin
and salbutamol, achieve their effects and how the positive effects of a drug must be weighted
against the possible side effects when deciding whether or not to issue a particular medicine.
During the course, I also came across ethical issues related to medicine, as to why some
people may choose not to take their prescribed medicine due to social, cultural and religious
beliefs.
I am an active member of Islamic Society which has helped me to become a more open-
minded individual with an unprejudiced view on life. I am also a part of Amnesty International
and as a group member I have taken part in school assemblies and written letters to
governments, advocating human rights. To improve my interpersonal skills, I became a
mentor in maths and chemistry for two younger students in my school. Being a prefect for a
year 8 form class also helped me to integrate into the school community and improve my
communication skills.
I have recently secured myself a voluntary work placement at [NAME OF NURSING HOME]
Nursing Home. I look forward to this great opportunity to enhance my communication skills by
working with the senior community and I have confidence that I will be able to demonstrate
the sensitivity and understanding needed to look after a vulnerable part of society.
The long and difficult understanding of disease is ever-changing, being propelled by new
advances in technology, and I believe that as an inquisitive and dedicated individual, I have
the drive and willpower needed to learn from this wealth of knowledge at university and to
improve the lives of generations to come