Personal Statements/Portfolios
Some medical schools in Australia require you to submit a personal statement or a portfolio. Find out what is expected from each university.
Updated 11 Jul 2023
A personal statement usually describes your motives, commitment and suitability to medicine and evidence for these. A small number of universities in Australia require a personal statement/portfolio as part of their admissions process.
James Cook University
A personal statement is required and considered for interview selection. In the written application form, you'll have to answer four questions.
These cover:
Motives for becoming a medical practitioner
Activities (other than studies) that indicate your motivation to study medicine
Why you're interested in a course which has a focus on Indigenous health, tropical health and rural medicine
Any other information that supports your application
Find out more about James Cook University’s application form.
Macquarie University
A personal statement is taken into account for interview selection, but not for final selection. In the personal statement, you'll be asked to respond to a series of relevant questions.
Personal statements will be marked as either ‘satisfactory’ or ‘unsatisfactory,’ with applicants needing a mark of ‘satisfactory’ to be considered for an interview offer.
Find out more about Macquarie University’s personal statement in the GEMSAS Medicine Admissions Guide.
University of Wollongong
A portfolio describing achievements and experiences is required and used for interview and final selection. In the portfolio, you should include 'highlight areas of achievement, leadership, teamwork, service ethic and commitment as well as ties to regional, rural and remote communities'.
We recommend submitting it well before the deadline, as it can take a significant amount of time to prepare.
Find out more about the University of Wollongong’s personal statement in the GEMSAS Medicine Admissions Guide and the official university website.
While a personal statement is not a requirement in other universities, it is still useful to think about the topics covered in a personal statement for the following reasons:
These topics and questions prompt you to think about why you want to enter the medical profession, which may be immensely beneficial for your medical school interview.
Many scholarships (university or external) require a personal statement of some kind.
