UCAS Personal Statement Changes for Medicine

The personal statement has long been a staple of the UCAS admissions process. However, UCAS have announced that there will be UCAS personal statement changes for 2026 entry. Students applying via the UCAS application scheme will now face a slightly different personal statement format than in previous years. But what does this mean for you if you will be completing your medical school application in October? We have laid out the changes at what this means for you below.

2026 UCAS Personal Statement Changes

For 2026 entry, the personal statement will move from a single essay of 4000 characters to three distinct parts, with the number of overall characters (4,000) remaining the same. The personal statement will be split into the following questions:

1.        Why do you want to study this course or subject?

2.        How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

3.        What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

Why has the Personal Statement Format Changed?

After consultations with admissions tutors, teachers and students, UCAS recognised that the previous personal statement format does not represent an inclusive approach and many students could be intimidated by such an open approach. To this end, the application body decided to separate the personal statement into the three parts to give the process more structure and direction.

If you would like to learn more about the UCAS Personal Statement changes, you can read the full article on Study Mind.