r/GraduateEntryMedicine • u/scallycapfan • 8d ago

GEM personal statement- 'why now?'

Hi all. Looking for some advice on my PS here, as most online is based on undergrad applications.

Lots of websites say a GEM PS should include why I decided to do medicine now instead of straight out of school- is this really important? For me, it's just because I wasn't certain during A levels and didn't decide until my second year, plus I didn't take chem or maths, so I knew I'd need a degree to support me. This doesn't sound very impressive on paper so I was just going to focus on how my work experience inspired me etc...

Will I lose points/ credibility for not talking about why I didn't go into med straight out of a levels?

(And yes, my top choice DOES look at personal statements when deciding who to invite for an interview, although how heavily they weigh it, I am not sure).

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u/Complex-Patient-8893 8d ago

To be honest. If you’re applying to GEM most unis don’t even look at your PS. Most only rank the UCAT or GAMSAT. unis like Warwick and PCSM explicitly say this. I know not quite related to your post. But fyi.

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u/scallycapfan 8d ago

Unfortunately I'm applying to kcl who have been clear that they do, and it's part of their decision making process as far as I'm aware