personal statement for nhs work experience

How the process of applying works

The working environment in the NHS is unique, so work experience could be especially valuable when planning your career.

This is a general guide to work experience in the NHS. However, every NHS organisation will have its own specific procedures that may differ slightly.

1. Speak to your careers adviser/teacher at your school or college

Many NHS organisations will have agreements with local schools or colleges on work experience placements. Your teacher or careers adviser may be able to help you secure a placement. If you do not have any luck, don’t give up, there are other options available.

2. Contact the trust

You’ll find details of NHS trusts in your area on nhs.uk . Ask to speak to someone in the human resources (HR), voluntary services or learning and development departments and explain that you are looking into a career in the NHS and would like to do some work experience. You may be referred to a specific person within the trust who organises work or voluntary placements.

3. Discuss your placement

It will help if you have an idea of what sort of career you’re interested in. That way the NHS organisation can find you a placement that suits you and where you’ll learn as much as possible. If you’re still unsure about what you want to do, talk to your teacher or careers adviser or take another look at our career mapper quiz or our A-Z section of careers in the NHS. Following your discussion with the trust, it is likely that they’ll send you an information pack and application form.

4. Application form

Fill in the application form as fully as possible and check if there is a closing date. Some NHS trusts treat applications for work experience like job applications, so make sure you don't leave it too late.

Different trusts will have different procedures, but most will have a summary of work placement rules with the application form. If you have a CV, don't forget to include it with your application form. For advice on writing a CV, visit the National Careers Service website .

5. If there are no places

There may be all sorts of reasons why you’re not offered a placement. It could simply be down to a lack of places, a shortage of supervisors or having too many students on placement already. Unfortunately, some trusts just don’t offer work experience. But don’t lose heart; you could always try other trusts in your area and even explore opportunities in private and voluntary healthcare. You can also find thousands of volunteering opportunities in health and social care at do-it.org.uk .

6. Interview

You may be accepted without an interview, but if you are asked to attend it can be a valuable part of the work experience process. Prepare for it just like you would do for any other job interview; dressed smartly, on time and prepared to ask some questions of your own. For advice and top tips on interviews, visit the National Careers Service website .

7. Confirmation letter

You’ll be sent a confirmation letter, health questionnaire, and an honorary contract for you and your parent/guardian to sign if you are under 18. The questionnaire and honorary contracts are legal requirements designed to protect not just you but the patients and staff too. This contract will explain where and when to go for your placement and who to call if you’re sick. There will also be a code of conduct explaining the ‘dos and don’ts’ within the NHS trust.

8. Pre-placement visit

Before your placement starts, you may be asked to come along and see where you’ll be working, meet your supervisor and to arrange for your uniform (if required). Most students find this really useful, and say it makes them feel more confident when they turn up for their first day. You will probably also get your photo-identity badge at this time too. After this, you’ll be ready to start your placement.

Don’t forget to visit our work experience stories section for more information on what to expect on your placement.

9. Your experience

The first thing to remember is to enjoy yourself! Try to get the best out of the opportunity:

• Be polite and punctual. If you don’t know anything, ask.
• Show you care. Seeing a smiling face can make all the difference to a patient.
• Ask for things to do. If you’re helpful you’ll become part of the team quicker.
• Keep a diary of what you do and see as you go along (always remembering patient confidentiality of course). This might really help for your UCAS personal statement or when applying for a job.
• Finally, share your experience with the other Step into the NHS registrants by submitting your story on our work experience pages .

10. Follow up

How was it? You may have an exit interview or an evaluation form to fill in to reflect on what you have achieved and how useful you found the placement. Don’t forget to take a note of your supervisor’s name. They can give you a reference, if you decide to continue your career in the NHS.

Hear real stories of work experience in the NHS

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Myths about finding work experience, how to find and contact your local trusts, find out more about the 350+ careers in the nhs.

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Making successful applications

Once you have successfully found a position you wish to apply for, you need to make sure your application does you justice and provides you with the best possible chance of getting an interview. This means reading the job description and person specification and taking time over your application demonstrating your skills and experience.

How good a match are you?

All employers will be judging how well your application matches the 'person specification' for the position you are applying for. The applicants who closely match the person specification will be the ones that are shortlisted for interview.

To stand the best chance of receiving an invitation is to demonstrate that you do have the skills and experience as stipulated within the person specification and provide clear examples within the supporting information section.

Never submit the same application form twice. Always adapt it to show how you meet the person specification of the particular post you are applying for.

Complete all the parts of the form

Read the instructions within the advertisement and application form very carefully and make sure that you complete all the sections of the application form. The information you give in the 'application for employment' section will be used to decide if you should be shortlisted for interview.

The 'personal information' and 'monitoring information' sections will not be used for shortlisting, but will be kept for administrative purposes only.

Provide good supporting information

The 'supporting information' section is your opportunity to sell yourself therefore make sure you use it to your advantage. You can include any information here that has not been covered elsewhere on the form. Demonstrate why you would be suitable and how you meet the person specification. You need to convince the recruiter that you have the required skills, knowledge and experience and that they should be inviting you for an interview.

You can include, among other things, details about:

• your duties and responsibilities;
• your skills, knowledge and/or experience which is relevant to the post;
• identify any employment gaps;
• voluntary work you have accomplished;
• research, publication and/or presentation experience.

• HealthJobs Ltd
• 27 June 2018

How To Write A Personal Statement For Your Next Job In Healthcare

• Matt Farrah Nurses.co.uk Co-founder / Co-owner
• Save for later

An excellent personal statement is the key to success in every healthcare job application you make and in this article we look at the steps to follow in order to create the ideal one.

If you’ve written a personal statement before for a previous job application or university course application, you can use ideas and themes from that but you can’t simply use the same one again.

A personal statement must be tailored for each situation, and when you’re applying for healthcare jobs you need to tailor it according to the person specification and job description of the vacancy you’re interested in.

Start with a brainstorm of ideas

If you try to sit down and write your personal statement from scratch by starting with the first sentence, you could find your finished personal statement has no coherence and does not follow a logical order.

By brainstorming your ideas first you can prioritise the points you want to make and assemble all the evidence you want to mention that will back up the claims you’re going to make.

In order to avoid repetition in your personal statement, pick out a couple of points you want to make in your opening statement that really establish you as a serious contender for the job; for example, your qualification or current employment.

Then move on to the centre section where you should elaborate on the all the reasons why you are perfect for the job! Use the person specification and job description from the vacancy advert as a reference and try to check off the points you’re making with the requirements of the employer.

Your closing section should summarise the main points you want the employer to remember you for, especially your professional expertise if you applying for a doctor job , dentist job or any other senior healthcare professional job.

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Put words around your ideas

As you begin to put your ideas into sentences, be mindful of the length of your personal statement. It’s easy to write too much, but you are more likely to be successful if you are succinct and coherent.

It’s essential as you’re writing that you use a variety of examples from your experience to illustrate each point you’re making because you want to demonstrate the range of your experience.

It will also help to make your personal statement as memorable as possible because the employer will have a really good insight into your history and how your experience can make you ideal for their job vacancy.

Proof-read and edit your personal statement several times

When you think you have your personal statement completed go back and proof read it to spot any spelling errors, and to check that the information you have given is accurate.

Your personal statement forms part of your job application so you can be sure that when you apply you are required to confirm all information is correct to the best of your knowledge.

Whether you’re an experienced healthcare professional in a particular field, or you’re applying for your first healthcare assistant job , the personal statement is an essential part of the job application.

It’s your only opportunity to talk directly to the employer before they decide whether or not you are suitable for the job and therefore should be offered an interview.

Try to imagine the questions they will be asking themselves when reading your personal statement and provide clear, concise answers to as many of those questions as you can anticipate.

Once your personal statement has secured you an interview, you'll be wanting advice on how to smash your interview, right? Take a look at how to successfully prepare for interviews in healthcare to find out how to do just that.

Looking for a job in medicine or health care? Next Steps... Create an account. We will help you build a CV as part of that process. This will get you ready to start searching for jobs.

About the author.

I believe people working in healthcare should be able to choose to enjoy work. That is, choose an employer who reflects their values and provides them with a sustainable career. This leads to better patient care, higher retention rates and happier working lives in this most important employment sector.

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How to wite your CV

How to write your CV

Doctors Direct has years of practice in recruiting the best candidates and as a result has a wealth of knowledge to pass on when it comes to writing a CV that will get you noticed, for all the right reasons.

Knowing what to include in your CV and in what order can be quite daunting. This guide aims to help you on your way to creating a CV that provides succinct and impactful information, that best represents you and your achievements.

Getting started

TIP: Use a confident tone and positive language when writing your CV.

Your CV should be no more than 1 -2 pages long and only communicate the information you feel is most relevant or important to the role for which you are applying. Keeping your CV short and sharp will help to hold the attention of the reader.

At the top of your CV you need to provide your full name, home address, email address and telephone number.

Most people then like to add a short bio, or ‘personal statement’ summing up your current personal situation, and your career aspirations. This should only be a few sentences long but should highlight your skillset enough that the reader wants to know more about you.

TIP: Look at the key information that the role rquires and tailor your personal statement to highlight the skills you have that match what they are looking for.

Your Experience

Next you need to add your work experience [1] in reverse-chronological (most recent at the top). You will want to confirm where the experience took place (organisation and location) and the duration.

TIP: Update your CV regularly. Sending an old CV will look unprofessional, so make sure that yours is up to date to meet the requirements of any roles you see advertised.

It can be helpful to differentiate between paid and voluntary work. The areas of expertise and skills you used during this time need to be included along with any projects you worked on. It can be easy to overcomplicate your CV with too much detail on the role, as often this will have been copied from a job description. In your CV you want to get across transferable skills and personal strengths that will be of interest. CV’s should detail specific skills, systems and processes you have used.

Your Education

Again, this is ideally displayed in reverse-chronological order. This section often takes up valuable space on your CV but try to include the most relevant information here. You will want to add the dates you were studying, the establishment name, location, course and grades achieved.

Gaps in your CV

If you have had any time during study or employment it is useful to explain this on your CV.

For example

‘X date to X date – travelling round South America’

‘X date to X date – volunteering with “Charity name” providing basic infection control information to young families in remote villages in Africa.

Closing your CV

At the end of your CV it’s good to add any additional information that is relevant to your application but does not necessarily fit in to any of the other sections.

It may be that you have some interests, hobbies, experience or short courses that you want to share, here would be the best place for them.

TIP: Ask someone to look through your CV to check for any mistakes you may have overlooked.

Your can download our CV writing guide by clicking the button below

https://nhspbank.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/How_To_Write_Your_CV.pdf

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Work experience in the NHS

9 January 2024

Introduction

This collection of good practice aims to support NHS employers with their work experience activity. It highlights examples, top tips, and useful resources to equip employers to set up work experience opportunities and establish buy-in from senior leaders and supervisors . 

A key resource for this work is NHS England’s More than Photocopying Work Experience - A Toolkit for the NHS . This comprehensive toolkit defines the different types of work experience, and their benefits, and includes editable templates to help set up placements.

Benefits of work experience

• Promotes your organisation as a good employer in your community.
• Engage, inspire, and inform young people about working life in healthcare.
• Positive work experience placements can help future employees make informed career choices.
• Supports members of the community, with the opportunity to practice work-related skills in preparation for employment.
• Allows staff to develop new skills in supervision and mentoring as part of their continuing professional development.
• It can help the transition into T levels, apprenticeships, and higher education.  Read more about how work placements can mark the beginning of an NHS career .
• Supports the implementation of the Government’s careers strategy to educate young people on the range of opportunities available in the NHS, learn new skills and get first-hand experiences in the workplace.

Placing students first at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS

This video shows the importance of student experience in the work experience journey. Ensuring the work experience offer aligns with the students’ needs and expectation can increase uptake and spark an interest in a career in the NHS. A standardised process for matching students with work experience is the fairest way of ensuring parity of access for students, rather than allowing them to rely on their own knowledge or contacts. The trust facilitates this through a locally developed work experience platform, with a standard application form, widening participation and reducing administrative burden. 

Re-establishing work experience

Due to the pandemic, work experience opportunities across the NHS were put on hold, but now many organisations are resuming their programmes. Check out the best practices below for trusts that are restarting their activities .

Find out how Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust reimagined their work experience programme after the pandemic . Their approach ensures that the programme is offered fairly, to more students than before, and places a reduced burden on staff. 

Restoring work experience at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Prior to the pandemic, the trust supported 600 young people per year to undertake work experience via a combination of individual ad-hoc placements and structured programmes. The trust was keen to reopen this popular route.

The trust focussed on the benefits work experience candidates bring to the trust to obtain internal buy-in and planned a phased approach over a year long period .

The trust has three approaches to work experience:

Ad-hoc placements -  support individuals who have contacted the work experience team directly.

Taste of medicine -  a weeklong programme that runs three times a year for young people interested in a career in medicine. The programme supports them to make informed career choices and bolster their university applications. Learners attend an induction session, clinical skills sessions and a presentation from the University of Manchester medical admissions team supported by current medical students. Plus, undertake shadowing placements with medical staff over the course of the week.

Taste of healthcare - this programme is run seven times a year to support up to twenty young people either currently studying a healthcare qualification (health and social care BTEC/ CACHE diploma ) at a local college or interested in pursuing a career in healthcare (nursing, midwifery, allied health professions). Learners are hosted by a ward or clinic for a week and undertake shadowing of various staff members and support with basic tasks in line with the trust’s safe placement guidelines.

Manchester made changes to ensure their processes are aligned with NHS England’s best practice guidance and NHS Work Experience Toolkit recommendations, as well as wider local strategies including  Manchester Work and Skills Strategy . The trust also completed this work to help gain an NHS England work experience gold quality standard accreditation.

“The work experience entailed example patients, from the patient seeking advice from the GP, all the way  to the histopathologists analysing the inflammation.  At the multi-disciplinary team meeting it was nice to see how the oncologist and pathologist share their knowledge and findings to reach a diagnosis.” - A young person who completed work experience at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.

Successfully recommencing work experience at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Following the pandemic, the trust wanted to restart work experience in departments that were experiencing less pressure and were therefore ready and best suited to the work experience programme. These departments allowed the trust to test what would work well and use the knowledge they collected to get buy in from other areas. This targeted and gradual approach contributed to the successful re-establishment of the programme.  

The re-start gave the trust an opportunity to consider how an online space could help provide access to information about placements and supplement face-to-face learning. The team created a work experience web page and added a section for online learning packages.

“Providing work experience can be seen as yet another ask, but it really does produce benefits or return on the time invested. Engaging with young people creates an awareness of your department/service and when the young person is ready to apply for jobs their experience influences their employer of choice. You are creating a pipeline of interested young people. You may ask a member of staff to manage the work experience provision, which will provide opportunities to develop management skills. Another aspect of staff development provides staff with mentoring, coaching, and skills transferrable to line management. Often the benefits to young people are thought of, but the other side is forgotten.” - Michelle Place, Apprenticeships and Widening Participation Lead, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Work experience approaches

Each organisation approaches work experience differently, learn how these organisations successfully implemented an approach that worked for them.

Mental health, learning disabilities and neuro-rehabilitation work experience at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

The trust aimed to educate young people about their career options within the organisation to ensure a larger workforce supply after they finish education at 18.

The trust offers nurse work experience placements on in-patient wards and in the community. The trust’s education support nurses , w ho support a five year Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship (RNDA) programme students, developed a timetable that included experience with community mental health teams, neuro services, community services, recovery college, and a ward which offers a therapeutic environment to help with rebuilding living skills . The trust also developed an induction booklet for the programme and incorporated this into their supporting learners/work experience policy.

The trust’s medical education team coordinates one-week work experience placements for students over 16 years of age who live in the Northeast and are intending to apply to medical school.

The trust offers Project Choice placements for young adults with a learning disability, disability, mental health issue or learning difficulties, or autism to gain work experience and improve their employability and independence.

“Young people are  key to our future workforce development and if we don’t support them in their learning when they’re at school or college, we can’t expect them to think of us once they are aged 18. Not everywhere will be a suitable placement, so we concentrate on where we can achieve placements rather than where we cannot.” Gail Bayes, Deputy Director of Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust Academy Development

After being established for two years the nurse work experience programme has created a workforce supply route for the RNDA. Since launching two years ago, they have recruited 31 people onto the apprenticeship. 

The trust offers three months of paid part time work experience as supernumerary staff in mental health and learning disability wards before the RNDA starts.

Two of those recruited withdrew following the work experience element having decided it wasn’t the career for them and weren’t therefore enrolled onto the apprenticeship. This has reduced the attrition on the course and made space for those who are sure this work is for them. 

A new work experience offer at Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust

The trust offers work experience of up to ten days to those aged 14 and above in clinical and non-clinical settings to help students understand the impact the NHS has in their local community .

The trust provides payments throughout the organisation including nursing, IT, HR, medicine (over 18s only), administration, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and finance.

The trust also delivered an introduction to allied health professions. This is a new five-day course aiming to provide attendees with an overview of five of the allied health professions.

Applications are open for two weeks twice a year which allows the trust to manage applications and placements better.

Students are asked to provide three areas they would like to be placed in, and a choice of three dates they are available.  

The students are also asked to write a supporting statement about what they hope to get out of work experience, this helps the trust select the right placement for them.

Work experience opportunities are advertised on social media, the trust website and are emailed to schools/colleges contacts. They are also promoted at careers events and internally to highlight to colleagues.

“Work experience is an interesting and important way to experience Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust, and the wider NHS. It will gives young people an impression of the work that we undertake, and the difference they can make. That difference can be to the wider community, families, carers and most importantly, our patients. ” Stephen Collman, Chief Executive, Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust

How Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust promoted their work experience offer

Hampshire engaged learners by running onsite work experience through their friends and family scheme which extended to individual requests from local students.

The trust developed insight days where they offered an all-day interactive experience to students in local schools and colleges who are interested in a healthcare career. This includes a myth-busting session, and a Q&A panel with current trust staff talking about their roles and career pathways. Then an afternoon of interactive workshops covering simulation technology, resuscitation techniques, and handwashing. The day ends with career guidance on both apprenticeships and UCAS applications.

“Learning the difference between clinical and non-clinical roles and how the NHS is not only made up of doctors and nurses was really interesting and something I hadn’t really thought about”. A young person who completed work experience at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) showcase a variety of roles through their career session and ‘hands-on’ experience

NHSBT provide observational healthcare science themed work experience programmes to students in years 10 to 13. Learners spend time with blood collection teams, in specialist laboratories and processing departments, and learn about organ and tissue donation. The programme demonstrates the variety of healthcare science and other roles, both clinical and non-clinical. Students participate in a career session and gain 'hands-on' experience in a practical in a training lab and experience their virtual reality laboratory.

Provide directly recruited and hosted work experience and placement opportunities, such as their Biomedical Science sandwich placement programme. They also partner with organisations such as Project SEARCH and Health Data Research UK. 

“Work experience provides  valuable insight into the variety of roles at NHSBT and the lifesaving work of the organisation. These opportunities raise our profile as an employer of choice in their local area supporting us to create a diverse workforce representative of those communities. Similar opportunities for NHSBT colleagues raise awareness of development and employment opportunities, including apprenticeships, ensuring as an organisation we have the right mix of knowledge and skills to meet the needs of our donors, and patients across the NHS.” Sonja Long, Placement Manager, NHS Blood and Transplant

Virtual work experience at Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership

The project funded by Learning, Environment Assessment and Placement (LEAP) programme provides virtual work experience in a Hospice environment.

Based on a partnership between St Mary’s College and Dove House Hospice, Hull, the project supports students aged 16-19 with a virtual systematic review of health and social care values, case studies and application of care planning within a multi-disciplinary team .  Plus, career specific guidance from the relevant professional with the multi-disciplinary team as well as a one hour onsite task guided by team members. Visit   Humber and North Yorkshire LEAP Programme or sign in to   HNY LEAP Future NHS platform to learn more.

Top tips for offering work experience

These resources have been selected to support you to launch and build your work experience programme. They include practical tips, specific advice and useful links.

• Information on applying to NHSBT work experience programmes (aimed at school years 10-13)
• NHSBT has a toolkit to support managers in accepting direct approaches for work experience

The Prince's Trust health and social care pre-employment programmes The charity’s, ‘Get Into’ programme focuses on increasing the chances of young people (aged 16-30) securing entry level employment in the NHS. It lasts between four to six weeks and is a combination of class-based learning and hands-on work placements

Click on these links to read more about widening local participation through partnering with the Prince's Trust and Business case for supporting a partnership with The Prince’s Trust - a guide on the key areas to consider when presenting your business case to board members.

• Springpod online platform hosts a wide variety of Healthcare virtual work experience opportunities . It aims to enable every young person to experience a university course or career before they apply. They achieve this by partnering with universities and employers to create interactive, experiential learning programmes.  From work experience to university course taster  experiences, the Springpod platform enables young people to explore, interact and learn about the world of work before they apply.
• Free for every student, Springpod is monetised through university and employer partnerships and school and college premium memberships.
• Busting myths on recruiting under 18s into the NHS .  Read our guidance on good employment practice when employing people under the age of 18 years old.
• Recruit and retain young people toolkit .  A series of practical, bite-sized guides to support recruitment and retention of young people in the NHS. This toolkit contains advice, tools and resources that will help your trust to attract and recruit young people, support them to stay in their roles and become a valuable asset to your organisation and the wider health and social care workforce.
• Central NHS England website about work experience and work-related learning activity.
• The Future of Healthcare Work Experience Discovery Report .  A broad review of NHS healthcare work experience. It comprises a wide range of great case studies for online learning opportunities and suitability for different age groups.  It also provides an accessible summary and review of digital resources and online experiences.
• NHS England response to recommendations outlined in ‘The Future of Healthcare Work Experience: Discovery Report’ March 2022  A response paper that sets out in practical terms how NHS England are putting in place their strategy of implementation.
• Work experience in the NHS - A toolkit for teachers and careers advisers
• Work experience - A toolkit for secondary care providers
• Online Work-Related Learning - A toolkit

For further information or if you have examples you would like to share, please contact the education, skills and redesign team on [email protected] .

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Nursing personal statement

If you would like to pursue a career as a registered nurse there are a number of pre-registration Masters courses available, that give you eligibility to qualify in two years

To apply for these courses, you will need to write a personal statement setting out:

• your interest in nursing, specifically within the NHS
• an understanding of the work environment
• knowledge of current challenges facing the profession
• previous relevant experience
• skills including teamwork, communication, problem solving and your capacity for leadership.

Relevant work experience is a requirement of study, but this can be gained in a variety of ways from hospitals to community healthcare settings. You may also include additional experience gained from other non-related areas. Wherever you have built your experience you will need to focus on demonstrating the practical and transferable skills you have developed.

When you write your personal statement it is also important to reflect the core values of working as a nurse in the NHS. These include working together for patients, respect and dignity, commitment to quality of care, compassion, improving lives and everyone counts. You also need to adopt a person-centred approach to healthcare.

This example should be used for guidance only. Copying any of this text could significantly harm your chances of securing a place on a course.

Nursing personal statement example

I have always been passionate about working in health and social care and chose to study this field at undergraduate level. I particularly enjoyed modules in 'Global Issues Within Social Care' and 'Working with Adults' and was delighted to take up a position after graduating in a social care role within my local council. This exposed me to working in a community-based adult residential care setting, where I saw how adopting a person-centred approach made a genuine difference to the experiences of our residents, empowering them to make care-related decisions and with an emphasis on compassionate care. I began to realise that my skills in communication, teamworking and problem solving, alongside my values of empowering vulnerable people to make choices, would make me an excellent candidate to train as an adult nurse.

To continue to build relevant experience, alongside my social care role, I volunteered in my local hospital where I worked on several wards including A&E, the maternity ward and within the diabetes clinic. I used this opportunity to further develop my skills in patient care, empathy and communication and have received positive feedback from the ward sister praising my communication, excellent time management and my high levels of motivation. Patient feedback was similarly positive, noting my calm demeanour and cheerful manner. Volunteering gave me the opportunity to speak with nurses from a variety of clinical areas about their roles and to explore the many routes a career in nursing presents for professional development and growth. The most important thing I learned from this valuable experience was the profound impact nurses make on individuals' lives and it was this knowledge that firmly cemented my ambition to pursue a career in nursing.

Nursing as a profession demands many core skills, including displaying a professional attitude at times of high pressure, excellent attention to detail, communicating clearly and with confidence, teamworking and being able to work independently. I first developed my professional behaviour while working as part of the waiting team in a busy restaurant where I prioritised excellent customer service. I continued to improve my leadership skills by captaining my high school hockey team and the second XI team at university. My university course demanded a clear focus on detail, and I believe the research I conducted for my dissertation on 'Demystifying drug abuse' is a clear and relevant example. Working in the residential home has always been rewarding  but has, at times, had  challenging moments when my skills in keeping calm and defusing tension through clear and open communication have been valuable. I believe these professional skills would enable me to be a calm and patient nurse, able to handle the difficult situations and conflicting demands inherent in the role.

I have chosen to apply for the MSc Nursing at X University due to the focus on person-centred care and the holistic approach on caring for both the patient and their wider family. I appreciate the combination of theoretical and placement-based modules within your partner NHS Foundation and am eager to learn from both the academic team at the university and from the staff who work within the NHS. I am particularly interested in studying the core module 'Improving Safety and Quality of Care', which would give me a greater understanding of person-centred care in practise. Experiencing a variety of practical placements also greatly appeals, and while I have developed some ward-based experience through volunteering, I look forward to discovering nursing in a range of different settings to better inform me of potential career options.

My academic skills, as demonstrated by my 2:1 degree in social care from the University of Y, alongside my strong A-level performance are a clear indicator of my ability to cope with the intellectual challenge of studying at Masters level. I enjoy both research and writing academically and my grounding in biology and chemistry from A-level studies will be of great benefit. I have always been a proactive student, volunteering to be a class representative in my undergraduate studies and taking an active role in both the hockey team and the student film society. I intend to become a proactive member of the student body if I’m  offered a place on this programme and would be interested in becoming a class rep, something I see from your website that the university values greatly.

The MSc Nursing from X University represents an exciting step towards my professional goal of nursing and I believe my practical and academic skills combined with my passion for delivering excellent patient care make me an outstanding candidate for your consideration.

Find out more

• Search postgraduate courses in nursing .
• Gain an insight into the healthcare sector .
• Learn more about personal statements for postgraduate applications .
• Discover more about applying for a Masters .

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Work experience

If you are a student at a local Gateshead school, or at college and are thinking of a career in the NHS, then our work experience project is for you.

If you are a student at school in Gateshead, or at college and are thinking of a career in the NHS, then our work experience is for you.

Placements give young people important experience in the world of work. You can also gain information about a range of jobs to help you to make your career choices.

Getting started

Gateshead Health provide an opportunity for those seeking work experience placements in a variety of roles within the health and social care sectors.

This is a perfect opportunity for anyone thinking about a career in the NHS to try a work experience placement.  We offer a variety of work experience placements.

Work experience is available to everyone, whether you are at school thinking about your future career, people taking career breaks and wanting a change of direction or people wanting to try something completely different.

Working in the NHS and social care is an extremely rewarding career and offers an experience like nowhere else. Every role, whether it is clinical or non-clinical plays a vital role in making a difference to patients, service users and families and carers. You will learn a lot about yourself as well as developing professionally.

Please note that, due to the demand for placements and the limited number of available work experience placements, placements are prioritised on a combination of points scoring and living in the Gateshead area.

We require the full form completed but scoring is only applied to the following 3 questions:

Q1 – What are your career aspirations and how will this placement help you work towards this?

Q2 – What are your strengths and how will you utilise these on placement?

Q3 – What do you know about the NHS and Gateshead Hospital and why do you want to take up a work placement with us?

For these 3 questions we use a scoring scale of 1-3, please see below the scale and an example of what we would class:

• Meets standard, for example contains some relevant details.
• Above standard, for example detailed answers showing clear rational for application.

The Trust may ask you in for an interview if any department and/or dated is oversubscribed to determine the allocation of the placement.

Providing placements helps the Trust to link with our local community and our workforce of the future. By taking up work experience with us, we hope that you will see that the Trust is an excellent employer for the future.

Work experience placements are offered in a number of different areas across the Trust and are listed on the online application form. These include:

• Administration
• QE Facilities (including Logistics and Linen, Medical Engineering)
• Medical shadowing
• Nursing (Adults)
• Physiotherapy
• Speech and Language Therapy (Paediatric and Adults)

How to apply

Applications are now closed. The application window will open again in Spring/Summer of 2024.

If you have any questions about work experience contact the work placement co-ordinator by email  [email protected]

Take a look at Step Into The NHS . This website that can help you to pick a career in the NHS based on your interests and strengths.

Advice for students

For any students that are thinking of applying for university or for a job in the Gateshead Health Trust (or any other health setting) they will expect to see in your personal statement that you have researched the different areas available in your field of study e.g. adults, paediatrics, older people. 

Please see the links for information on this.

What is on offer and dates

Coming soon

On application please state your three preferred departments in order of preference and we will aim to place you in one of these areas.  If you only want to take a work experience placement in a certain department please leave option 2 and 3 blank however this may reduce your chance of a placement if that area has a high demand for placements.

Please note that any offer of a work experience placement is subject to you attending a work experience Trust welcome.  We currently have the following dates and times:

13 June 2024 – 9:30am to 11:30am, Lecture Theatre, Education Centre at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital

5 July, 29 July and 12 August 2024 9:00am to 11:00am, Lecture Theatre, Education Centre at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital

If you have any questions about work experience please contact the team at [email protected] .

For the next academic year, we will be moving to a once a year application period.  This period will open at the start of the next academic year (September 2024) and will close in January 2025.  This will be for placements commencing the 7 April 2025)

Age restriction

• Only those aged 15 -16 years (current Year 11 students and above) and over are allowed in clinical areas.  Except for medical shadowing, Radiology and Pathology where ALL students must be in 6th form or College (aged 16 and above)
• Those aged 14 years and above can work in administrative areas only. 

Advice for teachers are career advisers

View the work experience toolkit for health and care organisations.

NHS Learning Packages

The learning packages have been developed by the University of Leeds and Health Education England for anyone considering a career in health.

They cover different topics with interactive tasks to help you learn in depth. They have been developed for you to complete in your own time or you could form a group to complete together at a school or college. Learning together brings added benefits as you can explore things together and test out what you have learnt.

• The 6 Cs : You will learn about the component parts of the compassionate care approach utilised by the NHS and how the NHS is currently structured. As well as the elements of the compassionate care approach via a case study exploring the areas of care, competence, communication, courage, commitment, and compassion.
• NHS structure: You will learn about the forming principles of the NHS, the formation and history of the NHS, the concept of free to access healthcare. You will be able to identify strengths and weaknesses of free healthcare for all, have an awareness of the different stakeholders involved in the delivery of secondary care in the UK, and understand how funding flows through the NHS
• Healthcare teams – primary: By working through this package you will understand the defining characteristics of primary care in the UK, be aware of the role and function of a primary healthcare team (PHCT) and have an awareness of the different team roles in a typical primary healthcare team.
• Healthcare teams – secondary: You will learn about the difference between primary and secondary care, understand the work that takes place in a hospital setting, and the different dimensions of quality improvement in healthcare settings.
• Healthcare teams – doctors: You will understand the value and importance of team-work in the treatment of patients. Learn about the various roles and responsibilities of healthcare professionals who work with doctors, understand the training process to become a doctor in the UK.
• Good medical practice and regulated professions: You will learn about the principles of ‘Good medical practice’, understand more about what it means to be a good doctor, have an understanding of some of the key competencies of medical professionals.
• Values and attributes: By working through these materials, you will learn about the values and attributes that guide professionals working in the NHS. As well as understand the seven principles that guide the NHS, appreciate the distinction between values and attributes that are important for healthcare professionals.
• Capacity and consent: You will understand issues related to shared decision in clinical treatment, be aware of the complexities surrounding issues involving capacity and consent.
• Reflection : You will learn about approaches to reflection and self-evaluation, be able to apply simple models of reflection, understand the value of reflective notes and diaries.

Useful videos and links

• GP 360 Video : observe GP is an alternative to work experience for aspiring medics. It is a free interactive video platform providing insights into the role of a GP and the wider primary care team.
• AHP Virtual Reality: Watch and learn about different Allied Health Professional careers created to show a typical day. You can look around the environment, and watch short films embedded within it.
• NHS work experience
• 350 NHS Careers
• What next? Post school options

Quality Standard award

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust has recently been awarded with the Work Experience Quality Standard in recognition of the quality of our work experience offering.

The award presented by NHS England recognises organisations that offer programmes of a high standard.

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Personal Statement: 4 Tips For Writing About Work Experience

Follow these tips to make sure you can effectively write about work experience in your Personal Statement.

Work experience is an essential component of your Medicine Personal Statement .  Whether you worked every Saturday at your local nursing home, spent two weeks on a hospital placement or did some volunteering for a charity, here are four things you need to do when writing about work experience in your Personal Statement.

Figure Out What You Learned

Make a list of the most important things you learned from your work experience before you actually start writing your Medicine Personal Statement. Ideally you should have kept a work experience diary , so you can revisit this now to come up with your key learning points. 

Consider the skills that are essential for working in Medicine, such as teamwork, communication, empathy and leadership skills, and think about where you saw these skills in action during your work experience. Admissions tutors don’t want to just see a list of your work experience activities in your Personal Statement – they want to hear about what you observed and what it taught you about the realities of a medical career.

It’s likely that you will be asked to talk about your work experience at Medical School interviews too – so coming up with key learning points for your Personal Statement is also useful interview prep .

You only have 4,000 characters for your Personal Statement, so try to be concise and focus on the important details. Remember that your Medicine Personal Statement structure needs to balance Motivation, Exploration and Suitability. Work experience is a significant part of it, but it isn’t the only thing you should write about!

You can always write a first draft Personal Statement that’s too long and then cut it down later. If you’re struggling with this, ask someone else if they can read it to get a fresh perspective.

Make Sure You Stand Out

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Don’t Compare Your Work Experience To Others

Don’t worry if you know other people who are applying to Medical School and it seems like their work experience is more ‘impressive’ than yours.

The quality of your reflection on work experience is a lot more important than what you actually did. You won’t get extra credit for shadowing a renowned surgeon at a prestigious hospital. In fact, certain Medical Schools even say in their work experience requirements that they consider practical, hands-on work experience to be more valuable than workplace shadowing.

As long as you have some form of work experience that you can relate to Medicine, link to a Doctor’s skill set and reflect on, this is all that matters.

If you’re invited to interview, some Medical Schools will use your Personal Statement to formulate interview questions. This means that whatever you write about work experience in your Personal Statement, you could be asked to elaborate on – and they will be able to tell if you’ve claimed something that isn’t true!

It might be tempting to exaggerate in your medical Personal Statement when you’re trying to prove your strength as a candidate to study Medicine. But remember that you’re only at the beginning of your journey into a medical career and you aren’t expected to know everything. Medical Schools just want to know that you have done some work experience to explore your interest in Medicine and learn more about the realities of being a Doctor. Be honest and don’t make bold claims that you can’t back up.

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• 18 December 2018

How to write a nursing personal statement for your first nurse job application

• Chloe Registered Mental Health Nurse
• Save for later

Your personal statement could be the difference between getting your first nursing job and just missing out, so make sure yours is as good as it can be.

Find healthcare jobs

1000s of jobs for nurses, AHPs, clinicians, care assistants, managers and more. Jobs in care homes, hospitals, and the community

Draft everything together

Once you have a rough idea of everything you want to include, get it down on paper.

Don’t worry about length or organisation of the statement at this stage, just get down everything you think you want to say.

Carefully read the job description to make sure you’ve highlighted how you fit those requirements.

If you’re applying for a job where you don’t quite meet all the requirements, explain how you’re going to ensure you are able to meet this element of the job if they give you the position.

Revise and edit

Your first draft is likely to be a mess as you include things as they spring to mind. So this is your opportunity to rework it into a more cohesive piece.

Make sure it flows and group similar talking points together so that you’re not jumping back and forth talking about different things.

Have an objective, experienced and motivated voice throughout.

Ensure that you sound confident and professional.

Make sure you’ve addressed all the essential criteria and any desirable ones that you fulfil. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you aren’t experienced just because you haven’t worked as a fully qualified nurse before.

You’ve just spent the last 2-3 years training and learning, so you do have some knowledge and experience.

Once you’re happy with it the next step is to proof read. Ask a friend or family member to do this for you if you can, as they’re more likely to spot mistakes that you might have missed.

Or you can always take a couple of days away from it, then come back to read it again with fresh eyes.

Be strict with yourself. Ask yourself if this is necessary and relevant to mention.

Chop out any unnecessary words or parts where you’re repeating a point you’ve already made.

Upload or create your CV on Nurses.co.uk. Our CV building tool is designed specifically for UK healthcare. Use it to apply for jobs and get hired.

Personalise your statement to the role

Unless you’re applying for multiple very similar roles, you should always seek to change up your statement for each application.

Even very similar roles might have slightly different criteria for different employers, so its worth checking that your statement is relevant for each job you are applying for.

Once its written it won’t take you long to tweak it each time for different roles.

It will be easy for employers to spot a generic personal statement that isn’t tailored to their role, and it doesn’t exactly display commitment to the role if you haven’t even bothered to re-write your personal statement.

To look at how to sharpen your CV for your job search, check out a blog I wrote on how to build your nursing CV . This will ensure you stand out amongst other candidates when applying for nursing jobs .

Looking for a nursing job?

Next steps..., create an account., we will help you build a cv as part of that process., this will get you ready to start searching for jobs., about the author.

I qualified as a Mental Health Nurse (RMN) in August of 2018 and started as a newly qualified nurse shortly after. On top of nursing I juggle creating content for both my YouTube channel and blog.

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Stormy Daniels spars with Trump's lawyer during hush money trial testimony

Adult film star Stormy Daniels returned to the stand in Donald Trump's criminal trial Thursday, pushing back during cross-examination against his defense attorney's attempts to discredit her in sometimes bizarre and uncomfortable exchanges.

After she was done testifying in Manhattan criminal court in New York, Trump's attorney Todd Blanche moved again for a mistrial, saying she'd changed her story and been allowed to testify about matters that were irrelevant to the case. He also asked the judge to waive Trump's gag order to allow him to respond to her testimony publicly. State Judge Juan Merchan denied both requests.

“My concern is not just with protecting Ms. Daniels or a witness who has already testified. My concern is protecting the integrity of the proceedings as a whole,” Merchan said of the gag order request.

Trump blasted the judge's actions on Thursday, calling them "a disgrace" to reporters in the courthouse afterwards. "I'm innocent and I'm being held in this court with a corrupt judge," he said.

Daniels took to social media Thursday night with a not-so-subtle dig at Trump. "Real men respond to testimony by being sworn in and taking the stand in court. Oh...wait. Nevermind," she wrote on X .

It's unclear whether Trump will testify in his own defense.

When Daniels was on the stand, Trump attorney Susan Necheles grilled her about the $130,000 nondisclosure agreement she signed with Trump's then-attorney Michael Cohen near the close of the 2016 election and tried to poke holes in her now-sworn statements about the sexual encounter she says she had with Trump, which he denies.

Necheles asked her about the number of porn films she has written and directed and said, “You have a lot of experience making phony stories about sex.”

“Wow. That’s not how I would put it," Daniels replied. "The sex in the films is very much real, just like what happened to me in that room” with Trump. She added, "If that story was untrue, I would’ve written it to be a lot better.”

Necheles and Daniels sparred over minor inconsistencies in Daniels’ stories, including her having said in a 2011 interview that she and Trump had dinner together while she now maintains they never actually ate.

“I had dinner in the room, but we never got any food, and we never ate anything," Daniels said. Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger noted on re-direct examination that the article with the 2011 interview said the piece had been "lightly edited."

Necheles also sought to dispute Daniels' claims that she was scared when she saw Trump waiting for her in bed in a T-shirt and boxers after she got out of the bathroom, implying that a porn actor wouldn't be caught off-guard by someone in underwear.

Necheles asked whether it was the first time in her life someone had made a pass at her. Daniels said it was the first time with somebody "twice my age and bigger than me" who had a bodyguard outside the door.

“You wanted money from President Trump, right?” Necheles asked earlier in their exchange. “No,” Daniels answered. “I never asked for money from President Trump,” she said. “I never asked for money from anyone in particular. I asked for money to tell my story” in 2016, and it was Cohen who approached her attorney with the NDA. She said she thought the agreement was “a perfect solution,” giving her a paper trail and peace of mind without having to tell her story publicly.

Daniels also acknowledged that she was irate when Cohen appeared to be stalling on paying the money but that he eventually paid. Necheles also asked about a statement she signed in 2018 denying she'd had an affair with Trump after The Wall Street Journal wrote about her NDA. Daniels said her lawyer had given her the statement and told her she had to sign it. She said she decided she wanted to tell her story later that year, after Cohen began talking about her publicly.

Asked whether she'd promised people she'd be instrumental in putting Trump in jail, Daniels said, "No." Necheles then asked her about a social media post in which someone had called her a human toilet, and Daniels responded, "Exactly! Making me the best person to flush the orange turd down." Necheles asked whether that meant she'd be instrumental in getting rid of him. Daniels said it was "hyperbole."

"I'm also not a toilet," she said.

Daniels spoke more slowly and seemed more confident Thursday than on her first day on the stand, but her voice shook some when Necheles asked her about various mean tweets she has been the target of, including ones referring to her as an "aging harlot" and a “disgusting degenerate prostitute.” “When somebody attacks me I’m going to defend myself,” she said, sounding like she was on the verge of tears.

After Daniels was done testifying, her lawyer Clark Brewster told NBC News she was "shaken" by the ordeal and "relieved" to be done.

“She was cross-examined over communications over years, and having your memory challenged like that and having to respond to questions immediately with recall is not easy, and it was quite an accomplishment,” Brewster said, adding, “She did a remarkable job of getting her testimony across.”

During the discussion about the defense’s renewed request for a mistrial, Merchan said he was surprised Trump's lawyers didn’t object to certain parts of Daniels’ testimony.

He cited one part where Daniels said Trump told her: “I thought we were getting somewhere, we were talking, and I thought you were serious about what you wanted. If you ever want to get out of that trailer park.”

“I was offended because I never lived in a trailer park,” Daniels said.

The judge said he struck that part of her testimony.

Trump sat with his eyes closed for parts of Daniels' testimony. He was accompanied to court by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who left in the late morning. On his way out of court, Scott took some jabs at three people whom Trump is prevented from criticizing by the gag order in the case — Judge Juan Merchan's daughter, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's wife and prosecutor Matthew Colangelo.

Scott didn’t name any of the three, but it was clear from his remarks — including saying "the judge's daughter is a political operative" — to whom he was referring. It's unclear whether prosecutors will try to argue the comments violated the gag order. The ruling bars Trump from making "or directing others to make" comments about individual prosecutors or relatives of people involved with the case, in addition to remarks about witnesses and jurors.

Madeleine Westerhout, Trump’s former White House executive assistant, testified later in the day that she had seen Trump sign checks in the Oval Office and that he had been “very upset” by Daniels’ claims.

Westerhout said she got to know Trump while she was working at the Republican National Committee in 2016. She said there was concern at the RNC in October 2016 after the release of the so-called "Access Hollywood" tape, a 2005 recording of Trump saying he can grope women without their consent.

Asked whether there were conversations at the RNC about potentially replacing Trump as the Republican nominee at that time, Westerhout said there were.

Trump remained the nominee and won the election, and she said she helped the president-elect schedule meetings at Trump Tower, which is what led to her White House job.

Her duties included acting as an intermediary between Trump and his company the Trump Organization, coordinating with Rhona Graff, Trump's assistant there, on issues that needed his or the company's attention, like his travel schedule, mail or phone calls.

She said she asked Graff for a list of Trump's contacts, which Graff forwarded to her. The list included information for Cohen and David Pecker , the former National Enquirer publisher who testified he worked with Trump and Cohen to suppress scandalous stories about Trump, including Daniels' claim.

Westerhout said Trump was "very upset" when the Daniels story became public. She broke down in tears as she recalled losing her job in August 2019, after she shared personal information about Trump's family at a dinner with reporters that she believed to be confidential. She called the incident a mistake and said, "I've learned a lot from my experience." She also defended her former boss, saying she believed he has been treated unfairly. She will continue her testimony Friday.

After Daniels was done testifying, Blanche told the judge that she'd changed her story by saying she felt there was a power imbalance between them and that she blacked out and was light-headed when they began having sex. He also said there was no reason for prosecutors to have asked her about supposedly spanking him with a magazine before the encounter or for Daniels to have testified that Trump did not use a condom.

"That has nothing to do with the false business record, but it’s so prejudicial. It’s a dog whistle for rape,” Blanche said.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told Merchan: “Those messy details, that is motive. That is Mr. Trump’s motive” for buying her silence. He also suggested that Trump could rebut the story under oath. “If they want to offer testimony that the sex never happened, that’s their prerogative,” he said.

He also said there were some "very salacious details that were intentionally omitted because we did not have the desire to embarrass the defendant.”

Merchan said he agreed with Blanche that there shouldn’t have been questions or answers about the condom, but noted that there was no objection from attorneys to that line of questioning at the time. The judge also pointed out that Blanche had said in his opening statement that Trump didn’t have sexual relations with Daniels.

“Your denial puts the jury in a position of having to choose who they believe. Donald Trump, who denies that there was an encounter, or Stormy Daniels, who claims that there was,” Merchan said.

In addition to the sexual encounter, which Daniels said happened after she met Trump at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, she told jurors that Trump made a sexual advance in 2007, which she rejected. Four years later, she said, a mysterious man warned her to “ leave Trump alone ” after she gave an interview to a magazine about their first encounter. Daniels said the article never ran thanks to Trump's then-“fixer” and lawyer Cohen.

Cohen later paid Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about her claim. Trump's reimbursement of that money to Cohen is at the heart of the criminal case against Trump, who is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records related to the repayment. He has pleaded not guilty.

Daniels was followed on the stand by Rebecca Manochio, a Trump Organization employee who was an assistant to the company's former chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg. She said that after Trump went to the White House, she would FedEx checks for him to sign and then get them to the proper person at the company when they were returned. Her testimony was used to enter records relating to Trump's checks to Cohen.

After Manochio, prosecutors called Tracy Menzies, an executive at HarperCollins Publishers. She was brought in to read into the record from a book Trump co-authored for the company called "Think Big: Make It Happen in Business and Life." One of the 2007 book's chapters was titled "Do Not Trust Anyone."

"I just can't stomach disloyalty," the book reads, mentioning a woman who had been disloyal. "I go out of my way to make her life miserable,” the book says. “My motto is 'Always get even. When somebody screws you, screw them back in spades.'”

The DA's office is nearing its final set of witnesses. Steinglass estimated this week that prosecutors would be done presenting their case by May 21.

One person who won’t be testifying is Karen McDougal, the former Playboy model who claims she had a monthslong affair with Trump that began in 2006 and was paid $150,000 to keep quiet in 2016 by the National Enquirer. Trump has denied her claim. Blanche told Merchan that prosecutors informed him she wouldn’t be taking the stand.

Adam Reiss is a reporter and producer for NBC and MSNBC.

Jillian Frankel is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.

Gary Grumbach produces and reports for NBC News, based in Washington, D.C.

Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News.

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Dentistry Personal Statement Examples

Last updated: 05/10/2022

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The personal statement is changing to a series of free text questions for 2026 entry onwards, however it remains unchanged for 2025 entry. Keep an eye on our live updates page for guidance on these changes.

Writing a dentistry personal statement that you’re proud of is hard.

Many students struggle to boil down their skills and experiences to just 4,000 characters and it is tricky to know where to focus. 

Example statements are a great way to gain this insight.

In this article, we cover the following:

• Strong and weak dentistry personal statements 
• A breakdown of other peoples’ successes and mistakes
• Ideas for what to include in your own personal statement 

Once you've read this, check out dental interview questions to build on what you've learnt.

For an overview of personal statement writing, read our Personal Statement Guide for Medical and Dental Schools . This is essential reading and goes further than just examples!

Strong personal statement example

“I first became interested in studying dentistry between the ages of 12 and 15, when I visited my local dentist frequently to get my braces checked and tightened. 

I talked with her at length about the nature of her job and was struck by the huge impact she could have on the people she met daily. 

She actively improved the quality of life of every patient she encountered, and had to astutely apply scientific principles in a social setting in order to make patients feel at ease and achieve the best results. I was truly inspired by this experience and decided to investigate dentistry as a career.

In order to deepen my insight into the profession I carried out a week’s work experience in a local dental hospital. I saw how dentists of every stage were keen to learn, constantly assessing their performance and striving to improve. 

This drove home the importance of self-awareness and constant reflection, but also introduced me to the idea of lifelong learning which is something I find particularly attractive. 

During this placement I also took my first look inside a patient’s mouth and observed dentists constructing bridges, veneers and crowns. This exposed me to the aesthetic side of dentistry - a dentist not only aims to alleviate pain but can engage with the more cosmetic aspect of healthcare, something that most medical specialties cannot match. 

I organised a number of work experience placements in local dental surgeries, and throughout my shadowing was struck by the bonds dentists formed with their patients. They often had to utilise great communication skills and empathy to calm down or reassure anxious patients, and they worked hard to build up a rapport with everyone who entered the surgery. This encouraged patients to attend checkups more frequently and be more open about their worries, thereby improving the quality of care they received. 

As a result of my reflection on these experiences, I took up weekly volunteering in a local care home and reading to children in the dental hospital. These opportunities helped me become a far better communicator, as many of the residents of the care home were elderly or suffered from dementia meaning I had to adopt different visual or verbal strategies to get my message across. Many of the young patients in the dental hospital felt lonely and nervous, and by empathising with them I was able to help them relax and focus on the positives.

Outside academia, I play water polo and run in my school’s athletic team. Both of these sports have helped me become a better team player and I’ve learned that you can always achieve the best results by working efficiently in a team rather than going it alone. 

I am a particularly ambitious sportsperson and I’ve received the Most Valuable Player award in my waterpolo league for three years running, and have been a captain for four. 

As a captain, I am a decisive leader; In the heat of a match it’s important for me to make snap decisions and for my teammates to trust me. However, out of the pool I take every view into account and try to make sure that everyone has been heard and feels involved. 

I also try to identify the strengths and weaknesses of everyone in the team - myself included - so that we can play to our strengths in matches and work on our weaknesses in training.  

I think that the ambition, teamwork and leadership I’ve demonstrated through my sports will serve me well as a dentist, allowing me to work efficiently with others while constantly striving to improve personally. My participation in these sports has also allowed me to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Becoming a dentist would allow me to have a truly positive effect on the people I work with, while also challenging me and ensuring I’m always learning and improving. I believe that my work experience, volunteering and extracurricular activities have provided me with the skills and insight necessary to become an empathetic and effective dentist.”

Strong personal statement analysis

This example displays many characteristics of a good personal statement. 

• Well structured.
• The candidate comes across as well-rounded and motivated, without appearing arrogant.
• There are some minor areas that could be improved, but overall we think that this personal statement would impress university assessors.

Introduction

• The introduction uses an anecdote to illustrate the candidate’s interest in dentistry. This is a good way to show how your interest in dentistry might have started, but it wouldn’t be suitable to write that you decided to apply to dentistry simply because you liked seeing your dentist as a child. The candidate doesn’t fall into this trap, and makes sure to highlight that this experience only inspired them to do further investigation into the career.
• The candidate goes on to describe how they deepened their insight in the main body paragraph, adding cohesiveness.
• The candidate also demonstrates some good insight into dentistry by discussing the unique blend of social skills and scientific knowhow required by dentists.

Main body paragraphs 

• Variety - the candidate’s three main body paragraphs discuss some of their work experience placements, volunteering roles and extracurricular interests. 
• Quality over quantity - they focus far more on individual experiences while going into more detail, and avoiding lists (although they witnessed a huge number of things during a week of work experience, they choose to focus on a couple of key experiences).
• Insight - the statement demonstrates insight into the profession on multiple occasions. They talk about the prominence of lifelong learning, the aesthetic/cosmetic side of dentistry, and how building a rapport with patients can lead to better outcomes.

Re-read the example, consider how the candidate: 

• Reflects on their experiences 
• Built on their experience
• Demonstrates relevant skills
• Demonstrates that they are ready for the challenges inherent in dentistry

Conclusion 

• Short, brief, and succinct. It doesn’t introduce any new information.
• The candidate doesn’t really speak enough about why they chose to study dentistry over medicine. They mention the dual focus on health and cosmetics, but could mention some other factors as well - for example, the fact that dentistry is more specialised from the start of the degree than medicine.
• They could show some more awareness of current news in the dental world.
• The candidate could also speak a little more about the challenges dentists face in the workplace and how they would cope.
• Discussion of paid employment would also have been beneficial.

Find more in-depth advice, tips and examples in our Personal Statement Course .

Weak personal statement example

“Dentistry has fascinated me from a very early age, as to me it seems like the perfect combination of practical and mental challenges. This has become even stronger since my brother found work as a dentist, having recently graduated from manchester University.

For the past 4 years, I’ve been looking after a local elderly lady who sometimes struggles to go shopping or carry out her daily tasks. This has helped me appreciate the satisfaction one can gain from helping others, and inspired me to pursue a career which will allow me to improve the lives of those around me - like dentistry!

As a result of my interest in medicine, I studied biology, physics and maths at A-Level. 

I’ve also carried out a variety of work experience placements over the years. During my GCSEs, I spent a week volunteering in a local NHS surgery, which exposed me to some of the challenges dentists face; they were often overworked, and had to deal with frustrated and anxious patients on a daily basis. 

I really enjoyed this experience, so I decided to take on another two week block at a dental hospital . While I was there, I shadowed receptionists, helping them to book appointments and organise the dentists’ timetables. I also managed to see dentists make diagnoses and watch a huge range of different dental procedures, from regular checkups to fillings and root canals. I spent time in the in-house dental laboratory, and was taken through the construction of veneers, crowns and bridges. I was also able to shadow dentists over a whole day in their life, seeing the admin and meetings they had to trudge through on top of the more exciting clinical work.

In my free time I enjoy playing the violin and listening to music. I am also a dedicated member of a number of sports teams, including basketball, tennis and hockey. I am proficient at both individual and team sports, showing that I can work well with others, but also self-motivate and set my own targets. 

I also enjoy watching films and socialising with my friends. More recently, I’ve really enjoyed keeping up with current dental news by reading the Journal of Dental Research and my brother’s old copies of the British Dental Journal.

Looking to the future, my great ambition is to work within the dentistry profession, where I believe I could have a really positive impact on the lives of the patients I work with. 

My work experience has set me up well to succeed, and I feel I have the desire and commitment to stick the course and become a successful yet empathetic dentist”

Weak personal statement example analysis

• Likely not to score well
• It isn’t nearly long enough (2520 characters) 
• It hasn’t been proofread and contains errors
• Did the candidate genuinely want to study dentistry from a young age? If it is true, it implies that they made this important decision based on an emotional impulse as a child.
• Being inspired to go into dentistry just because your sibling did is also not recommended. Just because it was right for them doesn’t make it right for you. 
• The mention of helping an elderly neighbour is good, but too brief. This is a great experience to reflect on and use to demonstrate both your motivations to study dentistry and your suitability for a caring role.
• At no point in the statement does the candidate explain why another caring profession wouldn’t be just as suitable for them. 
• There’s no mention of anything particularly specific to dentistry.

Main body paragraphs

• The first paragraph follows a list, with the candidate demonstrating that they have a real range of work experience placements (which is good) but without going into sufficient detail.
• There is very little reflection throughout these paragraphs. The candidate clearly has a good breadth of experience but can’t really explain anything they learned from it.
• They demonstrate very few relevant skills throughout the statement. They should talk more about how each experience they’ve had has improved them, either by helping them develop or demonstrate key skills that dentists need. Then, they should explain why dentists need these skills in the first place. 
• Describing the dentist’s admin and meetings as a ‘trudge’ and clinics as ‘exciting’ isn’t wise. This may be the case, but the reality is that dentists do spend a lot of their time writing notes, filling out paperwork and liaising with other healthcare professionals. If you find this particularly boring you either won’t be able to handle the job in the first place, or you’ll cut corners and thereby put patients at risk.
• There’s no mention of the importance of a work-life balance when talking about how they relax.
• It is crucial not to lie in your personal statement. It is possible that they do 'really enjoy' reading dental journals, but it is likely that your interviewers will latch onto this and quiz you repeatedly on it. 

However, it is worth mentioning the things these main body paragraphs do well:

• There is some reflection on the challenges faced by dentists, which will reassure the assessors that the candidate does have some insight and can reflect on their experiences.
• The candidate discusses the skills they demonstrated through their sports which is exactly the right thing to do. The only thing they’re missing is a linking of this to dentistry.

The Ultimate Guide to Studying Dentistry in the UK

• Remains brief and concise while summarising the rest of the statement and finishing with a strong, confident claim. 
• It is better to show “desire and commitment” to the profession earlier in the statement before introducing it in the conclusion. 
• Saying that work experience will set you up well for a career in dentistry is simply not true. Watching a couple of weeks’ worth of dental procedures will not make you a better dentist later in life. It is the reflection on those experiences that assessors are looking for.

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Politics latest: Keir Starmer accused of 'rank hypocrisy' by Rishi Sunak after setting out what he'll do to tackle small boat crossings

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer lays out his party's plans to try and tackle small boat crossings if it wins power. Listen to the latest episode of the Electoral Dysfunction podcast as you scroll.

Friday 10 May 2024 18:30, UK

• Starmer says small boat crossings 'one of the greatest challenges we face'
• Explained: What's in Labour's plan to try and tackle problem
• Darren McCaffrey: Will Labour's plan cut it with voters?
• Starmer says no flights to Rwanda will take off under Labour
• Sunak accuses Starmer of 'rank hypocrisy'
• Electoral Dysfunction:  Jess Phillips says Elphicke defection like 'being punched in gut'
• UK exits recession | Economy 'returning to full health'
• Faultlines:   Can British farming survive?
• Live reporting by Tim Baker

Across the UK, anger is brewing amongst some farmers.  

Protests have already been held in London, Dover and Cardiff, with more planned - mirroring similar tensions seen across Europe in the last six months.     

They say they’re annoyed about cheap foreign imports and changes to subsidies forcing them to give up land in favour of environmental schemes.    

But what does this mean for the food on our table - and does British produce risk becoming a luxury product for the wealthy only?    

On the Sky News Daily , Niall Paterson is joined by West of England and Wales correspondent Dan Whitehead to find out why farmers are so concerned, and speaks to Liz Webster, the founder of Save British Farming, about why she believes eating British isn't just good for our farmers - it's good for the nation's health, too.   

In response to our report, Farming Minister Mark Spencer, said: "We firmly back our farmers. British farming is at the heart of British trade, and we put agriculture at the forefront of any deals we negotiate, prioritising new export opportunities, protecting UK food standards and removing market access barriers. 

"We've maintained the £2.4bn annual farming budget and recently set out the biggest ever package of grants which supports farmers to produce food profitably and sustainably."

The Welsh government said: "A successful future for Welsh farming should combine the best of our traditional farming alongside cutting-edge innovation and diversification. 

"It will produce the very best of Welsh food to the highest standards, while safeguarding our precious environment and addressing the urgent call of the climate and nature emergencies."

👉  Listen above then tap here to follow the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts   👈

Following the defection of the Dover and Deal MP Natalie Elphicke to Labour, Beth, Ruth and Jess discuss the surprise move and whether it could have been handled differently by Sir Keir Starmer.

They also talk about Beth's interview with the former immigration minister Robert Jenrick and his warnings about Reform UK.

Plus, how significant was the defeat of former Conservative mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street? Beth and Jess were both there to tell the story.

And they answer a question on Labour and the Muslim vote, and what the party can do to restore confidence and trust.

Email Beth, Jess, and Ruth at [email protected] , post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.     

👉 Listen above then tap here to follow Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts 👈

In January 2023, Rishi Sunak made five promises.

Since then, he and his ministers have rarely missed an opportunity to list them. In case you haven't heard, he promised to:

• Halve inflation • Grow the economy • Reduce debt • Cut NHS waiting lists and times • Stop the boats

See below how he is doing on these goals:

The Sky News live poll tracker - collated and updated by our Data and Forensics team - aggregates various surveys to indicate how voters feel about the different political parties.

With the local elections complete, Labour is still sitting comfortably ahead, with the Tories trailing behind.

See the latest update below - and you can read more about the methodology behind the tracker  here .

Speaking to Sky political editor  Beth Rigby , Sir Keir Starmer has defended his decision to allow Tory MP Natalie Elphicke into Labour.

Ms Elphicke was on the right of the Conservative spectrum, and previously defended her sex-offender ex-husband, comments which she apologised for this week following her defection.

Addressing Tory voters, Sir Keir says he wants Labour to be a "place where they who have ambitions about their families, their communities, their country, can join and be part of what we are trying to build for their country".

Asked by Beth if he was ruthless, Sir Keir said: "Yes, I'm ruthless in trying to ensure we have a Labour government that can change this country for the better.

"Not ruthless for my own ambition, not ruthlessness particularly for the Labour Party - I'm ruthless for the country. 

"The only way we'll bring about a change in this country is if we're ruthless about winning that general election and putting in place a government of public service, that’ll be a major change.

"Politics, I believe, should be about public service, that's what I've been about all my life."

More now from political editor Beth Rigby's interview with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

She reminded him that he previously ruled out doing a deal with the SNP - but has not done so for the Liberal Democrats.

Sir Keir again ruled out a coalition with the SNP - adding that he is aiming for a "majority Labour government".

He says Labour needs "to keep working hard, keep disciplined and getting our message across, which is something fundamental to me".

Pushed on his lack of ruling out a possible agreement with the Lib Dems, Sir Keir says: "I'm going for a majority.

"That's the answer I gave you a year ago. It's the same answer I'm giving you now."

Sir Keir Starmer was earlier today pushed on whether Rwanda deportation flights will take off if he was prime minister - although it was not clear if he would cancel flights which had already been organised.

Sky News understood that previously booked deportation flights to Rwanda would still go ahead if Sir Keir entered Number 10. 

But the Labour leader has now gone further.

Speaking to political editor Beth Rigby , Sir Keir has ruled out any flights taking off.

"There will be no flights scheduled or taking off after general election if Labour wins that general election," he says.

He says: "Every flight that takes off carries with it a cheque to the Rwanda government. 

"So I want to scrap the scheme - so that means the flights won't be going."

Sir Keir says he would rather spend the money on his own measures to counter small boats.

"No flights, no Rwanda scheme. It's a gimmick," he says.

By Alix Culbertson , political reporter

Scotland's new first minister has told Sky News that the controversial gender recognition reforms "cannot be implemented."

John Swinney,  who became first minister this week , has faced questions over his stance on gender recognition after MSPs voted in 2022 to pass a bill to make it simpler for people to change their gender without having to obtain a medical diagnosis.

The UK government blocked the bill from being made into law and the Supreme Court rejected a request by the Scottish government for a judicial review.

Asked if he would be fighting to push the bill through, Mr Swinney told Sky News: "The reality of the situation we face is that the Supreme Court has said that we can't legislate in that area. We can't take forward that legislation."

The UK economy is no longer in recession, according to official figures.

Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by a better-than-expected 0.6% between January and March, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Economists had predicted the figure would be 0.4%.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it showed the economy had "turned a corner".

He told Sky News's Ed Conway: "I am pleased that while there's more work to do, today's figures show that the economy now has real momentum, and I'm confident that with time, people will start to feel the benefits of that.

"We've had multiple months now where wages are rising, energy bills have fallen, mortgage rates are down and taxes are being cut... I'm pleased with the progress that we're making."

Mr Sunak added: "I am confident the economy is getting healthier every week."

You can read more here:

Rishi Sunak has criticised Sir Keir Starmer's position on Rwanda as "rank hypocrisy".

Speaking to broadcasters, the prime minister says the Labour leader has announced things the government is "already doing".

He gives the example of "punching through the backlog, having more law enforcement officers do more, that's all happening already".

"We've announced all of that more than a year ago," the prime minister adds.

"The question for Keir Starmer if he cares so much about that, why did he vote against the new laws that we passed to give our law enforcement officers new powers? 

"They've now used those to arrest almost 8,000 people connected with illegal migration, sentenced them to hundreds of years in prison.

"And if it was up to him, all those people would be out on our streets, so I think it's rank hypocrisy property of his position."

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