Master the Dentistry Personal Statement with Us
You’ve determined, after thorough research, that dentistry is the career for you! You’ve begun your UCAS application and you’re now ready to start your personal statement.
This article discusses the factors to consider when developing an outstanding dentistry personal statement.
Dentistry personal statement Review?
To get you started…
The personal statement should consist of a maximum of 4000 characters in 47 lines of text ( equating to about 500 words). We advise starting early as students usually require multiple drafts to complete the statement to a high standard.
Remember, the application deadline is earlier for Medicine and Dental candidates, so an early start is always a good idea.
Based on previous candidates, successful statements follow good structure, are genuine and demonstrate the desire for the student to pursue dentistry.
The structure
Introduction
The introduction of your statement is vital to ensure you are capturing the reader's attention, amongst the 100’s of statements admissions teams must read through each day. Your introduction should include strong reasoning as to why you have chosen to pursue this career. It is very important that you have genuine desire.
Here’s a few questions that you can ask yourself to get started.
Why do you want to study Dentistry?
What inspired you to apply for Dentistry?
What do you find interesting about Dentistry which no other career has to offer?
Hopefully, by answering some of these questions it will allow you to continue on to the next stage of your statement.
Main Body
The main body of the text will really allow you to expand on your suitability for dentistry as a career. In this section you want to include your work experience or career insight and reflective accounts from your research. This could include shadowing experience and courses you’ve attended. You may discuss what fascinates you about dentistry, such as the attention exercised for clinical treatments or the impact that treatment may have on patients. This is a great chance to share what you have learnt and how this has strengthened your career choice.
To learn more about the importance of your dentistry work experience (and advice on how to make the most of it) click here. For further career insight, check out our free ‘Dentistry Experience’ course here.
This section of your statement also allows you to highlight your personal attributes and achievements. Remember, dentistry is a multifaceted career and your aim should highlight how your traits and characteristics resonate with those of a competent dentist. For example, If you play a team sport you may wish to discuss your strengths of being a team player and how these skills are required by a dentist working within their own team. Through the personal statement, the universities also want to see other qualities alongside academia, as such be sure to include your hobbies or things that you find interesting.
Here's a few questions you can ask yourself to get started:
What insight have you conducted into dentistry including online courses and work experiences?
What exactly have you found attractive about a career in dentistry
What traits, behaviours and characteristics did the dentist show and how can you relate to these?
Can you evidence team work, good communication, interpersonal skills and achievements outside of academia?
How do you balance academia with your personal life?
Conclusion
A well structured statement will allow a seamless flow from one section to another. The conclusion of the personal statement should urge the reader to invite you for an interview.
Try to avoid cliche finishing statements or using quotes. In our opinion, it can make the statement feel less genuine and personal. To ensure that you can leave a lasting impression on the reader, see if your conclusion answers these questions:
Does your conclusion indicate that you are aware of the demands of a dental student?
Does your conclusion represent your own genuine views?
Does your conclusion summarise your main points from the statement?
Does your conclusion fit into the statement well?
Is your conclusion going to make the reader want to get to know you more?
Example personal statements
Found that useful? Have a look at our examples to give you an understanding of what a successfully written statement looks like.
Please note that these are real life examples that have been through the admissions cycle and should not be copied as that will count as plagiarism. Use these examples to inspire you to construct your own unique personal statements.
We have also included a rejected statement to give you an understanding of what to avoid.
This is to provide you with an in-depth understanding of how to improve construct and improve your personal statement and increase your chances of success. We also have a statement reviewing service, where we help you finalise your statement using our team of successful dentistry students.
Undergraduate examples
Dental schools typically receive most of their applications from those who are applying as ‘undergraduate students’ taking A-levels or equivalent. Thus, for those in this category, the personal statement must stand out to increase chances of being shortlisted for an interview. But remember, it is not just the statement which is used for shortlisting, your grades, school/college reference and UCAT score (and BMAT if required) will also be strongly considered.
Aside from A-levels, there are various other qualifications that schools accept for entry, if you are interested in learning more about these, we direct you to the official websites for each dental school. Here, the exact entry criteria for the forthcoming year of applications will be found.
Postgraduate examples
As a graduate, the personal statement requires further detail about of how you have utilised the additional time (from completing your A-levels and undergraduate degree) to gain the skills, qualities and the determination necessary to become a training dentist.
The graduate statement will therefore contain details relating to your undergraduate degree, you desire to pursue dentistry and further information on reinforcing your suitability for the career.
For information on graduate entry dentistry, click here.
How the Dentistry Personal Statement is Assessed?
The personal statement functions as a key to help you secure your dentistry interview. Each University will have its own admission criteria, with the personal statement being a key determinant in this.
Admissions tutors look for many factors within a personal statement- use these pointers to help with creating your personal statement.
Does the applicant have a realistic interest in Dentistry?
You should show your ambitious interest for Dentistry and demonstrate an excellent insight with reflection and relevant reasoning for your decisions. Use the statement to not only mention these but discuss how they stimulate your interest and led you to seek further information.
Is the applicant involved in interests other than academia?
It is very likely that most applicants will have the required academic entry requirements, therefore it is important to focus on your non academic interests and link these to a career in Dentistry.
Due to the stressful nature of this career, work-life integration is key. You should show varied interests such as being part of a sport team, music involvement, hobbies or community and religious activities. These show you have commitment to area other than academia and can manage time well.
Is the applicant informed about a career in Dentistry?
You should convey your truthful motives to study dentistry. Your rationale should be well explained and you should evidence where you have derived your insight. With work experience being cancelled (due to COVID-19), you should describe the ways in which you have sought dentistry career insight. For instance, partaking in online courses, actively speaking to dentists and reading relevant article are all plausible methods of career insight.
Does the applicant show altruism?
‘Altruism’ refers to the selfless desire to help others. If you are committed to a particular voluntary role, involved in regularly helping others at college/school or a community initiative this is important to mention. This demonstrates self-motivation, leadership and organisational skills.
Does the applicant have life skills?
They will look for evidence of team work; organisation; leadership; and dexterity; time management; and having problem solving ability.
You should be able to demonstrate an excellent range of skills, abilities and responsibilities, and link these to how they will benefit you as a dental student and subsequently, a dentist.
Is there evidence of strong communication and interpersonal skills?
Communication is a fundamental aspect of day to day Dentistry.
It is worth mentioning involvement in activities related to communication, such as a current or past job in customer services or if you have a role involving strong communication such as debating, acting, public speaking or lecturing.
Avoid simply listing these activities, but rather focus on describing how these endeavours will benefit you as a future dentist.
