Sample Medical Engineering Personal Statement
My ambition to study for a Master’s degree in Medical Engineering has developed out of my love for the science of engineering, particularly the electrical and electronic engineering I am studying in my first degree course, and a deep conviction that science can provide the solutions to many of the problems facing us in the modern world, and that this is especially true in matters of healthcare. I also have a first-hand insight into the needs of the medical profession as several members of my family work in the National Guard Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. They talk frequently of the inadequacy of their equipment and the need for much more development in medical technology. They seem to feel that, despite rapid progress, most medical engineering is still at a fairly primitive stage and that the opportunities for further innovation and focussed design are immense. My long-term hope is that I shall be able to create a device which could transform the lives of people with disabilities or special needs, such as the deaf. I believe that human contentment is often to be achieved by removing the stigma of disability, and by making the difference in behaviour between disabled and “normal” people as insignificant as possible. In Arabic we have a saying, “The healthy brain in the healthy body”; peace of mind and good mental ability have their roots in the efficient working of the physical body, and the medical engineer can help to give people this.
It is an enormous field and the possibilities are virtually limitless. I am very much aware that, with healthcare budgets in developed countries running into many billions of dollars, a career in medical engineering offers huge professional and personal opportunities. An advanced knowledge of such matters as medical physics, radiation physics, techniques of medical imaging and methods of accurate clinical measurement, together with a full working knowledge of the requirements of the EU
Medical Devices Directive, would lead on to unimagined advances in the machinery used in healthcare, and greatly enhanced methods of diagnosis and treatment. I believe that the medical engineer can actually change the quality of life of individuals and even of the whole population. The range of options is wide, including the design of mechanical, electronic and mechatronic devices, with their complex combination of engineering specialisms such as mechanics, electronics and computing. To be able to work at this level of scientific advancement is an exciting prospect, full of the opportunity for professional fulfilment, and I am committed to playing my part in this new world.
I am academically able, particularly in the sciences. In Makkah, where I used to live, in two successive years I won first place in the annual mathematics competition run by the Ministry of Education, and my success was featured in the Saudi newspaper Okaz. The appeal of the sciences for me is in the way they address the practical problems of our lives, particularly in matters of healthcare. I am convinced that the scientific way of thinking, a firm knowledge of physics, chemistry and mathematics, and a strict adherence to logic in our approach to human problems, is the most dependable way to find solutions in an increasingly challenging world.
I am virtually bilingual, with Arabic as my mother tongue and good English, and I am convinced that an international world demands a command of more than one language. I am an industrious and committed student, always keen to do my best. I work well with others, but also have the confidence in my own judgement to be able to work quite happily on my own and to take responsibility for my actions and decisions. I am a confident individual, focussed on my chosen goal and very active in pursuit of what I want. I try always to live by my clear belief in the value of logical thought.
My ambitions are clear and certain, and I hope you will consider my application.