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personal statement example

Having focused both study and work experience on providing care and comfort to others, I have experienced the challenges and rewards of a life in the field of healthcare. More importantly, I have also been on the receiving end of this care and attention, benefiting from the skill and experience of several midwives who making pregnancy and home birth truly special experiences for me. The chance to utilise my existing skills and knowledge in a role that allows me to be a part of this intense, emotional process in other’s lives has convinced me that midwifery is the correct choice of undergraduate course and subsequent career.

I am currently undertaking an Access to Education Course with an emphasis on health and biology related modules. Gaining a distinction in many of these, I have demonstrated that I have the ability to understand, and expound upon, the core knowledge of biology that underpins the field. As a native of Denmark, I have also had to overcome potential language barriers, utilising all of my transferable study skills, such as teamwork, researching and presenting topics, conducting experiments and producing written work, to ensure I have reached the required standard for the increased demands of undergraduate study.

Learning from textbooks is, of course, is only half the story with such a ‘hands on’ field. In order to gain experience of what working as a midwife actually entails, therefore, I have undertaken a week’s work experience shadowing midwives at a local hospital. This insight into the daily routine of a midwife demonstrated both the involved nature of the work and the emotional rewards that this can inspire, easily confirming my career choice. I have also spent two years working within the broadly related field of care, as a Care Assistant at Sunfield, an internationally renowned residential home and school for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. I recognised many of the skills required within midwifery as those I have developed through this role; such as the ability to communicate regarding emotionally sensitive topics and to balance shift work with the patterns of family life. My love of working with children, and their parents, also led to me working as a successful, self-employed childminder after the birth of my own children, demonstrating time-management, multitasking and organisational skills essential within my chosen field. To gain further experience, I am also currently training as a Breastfeeding Peer Supporter, using these skills to make a positive impact on the life of parents and children in my community.

Upon becoming pregnant myself, I became fascinated by the processes of pregnancy and childbirth, a fascination that still inspires and shapes my interests. I regularly read books about working within midwifery, such as Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent and 12 Babies On A Bike by Doris Dunn, watch television documentaries, such as One Born Every Minute, speak to people working within the field and participate in online forums. I have also attended several university open days to gain a sense of what it is like to study, as well as work in, midwifery.

The skill and care of those who guided me through pregnancy and birth was truly inspiring. Having supplemented this personal experience from a mother’s perspective with focused study and work, I have become increasingly convinced midwifery is the career for me. The chance to play a similarly important role in one of the biggest events in anyone’s life offers intellectual and emotional rewards that will motivate throughout undergraduate study and into my career beyond.

personal statement example