What is the Manchester Non-Academic Information Form?
The Non-Academic Information Form is a significant part of Manchester Medical School's entrance criteria. It is like an expanded personal statement providing more information, including why you chose to apply to Manchester Medical School.
I study at Manchester Medical School and so have several of our doctors and medical students at MasterMedPrep. We know exactly what they are looking for and if you have any questions about the Manchester non-academic form then please do get in touch!
We are offering Doctor Reviews of Manchester Non-Academic Forms but these appear to only appear on the desktop version of the blog - https://www.mastermedprep.com//product-page/manchester-non-academic-form
Top tips
Be honest - if you are caught making stuff up then you will be removed from the application process and it is not worth it!
Do not plagiarise or self-plagiarise - do not copy anyone else and do not just copy and paste your personal statement!
Use structured reflection - use the STAR method for writing responses. It is key that you reflect on what you gained from your experiences.
Do not list - this is not a shopping list. Quality experiences with reflection is preferable to listing your achievements and experiences.
Get it checked by someone else - it could be your parent, it could be your friend, it could be your teacher, it could be us here at MasterMedPrep. The more people that check your answer the better!
My Successful Manchester Non-Academic Information Form
I wrote my answers to Manchester's non-academic information form back in 2015. The principles are still the same. It is important that you use this opportunity to be unique and memorable.
Below you will find my actual successful Manchester Non-Academic form. I have even left in the spelling and grammar mistakes!
Experience in a caring role
I enjoy working with people, having been involved in some form of volunteering from the age of 14.
My main caring role has been volunteering in a care home since January 2014 and I feel the longevity of this experience has really helped me to get a lot out of it. I have seen the patient journey from residents first being admitted into the home to, sadly, the death of a resident who I used to take out of the home to the local park which he really appreciated. My more recent roles have been helping to feed a very disabled lady who does not speak or understand English; playing games with the residents and talking to and listening to the residents to help build a relationship with them. The residents are so appreciative of a young person taking an interest in their lives and this is very motivating.
I have also shown caring qualities through my volunteering at a “Royal Voluntary Service” café in a fracture clinic. I served people in the clinic, often having long and meaningful conversations with them and relating to patients from a non-medical point of view.
Hobbies and interests:
I have worked every weekend from August 2014 to October 2015 as a retail sales assistant and this has been an amazing opportunity. Working has made me use my time efficiently, balancing hobbies and family with work and studying. It has also built my confidence in approaching people and has built my leadership skills as I have helped to train new staff. I have recently left this job and now set up as a local GCSE maths and science tutor as I feel this plays well to my strengths and it will enable me to have more time for studies this year.
Apart from working and studying I think that it is very important to have hobbies and interests and set time away from work completely. My family and friends are very important to me so I always ensure that I have quality time to see them. Also, I enjoy playing cricket and rugby and have played in teams in both of these sports. The main ways I enjoy to unwind is through sport especially running, socialising and with the odd James Bond film. I have a passion for skiing and sailing, having qualifications in both of these sports.
Team working:
Sport is a great unifier and I particularly enjoyed my time playing rugby and made some great friends outside of school through the sport. Sport has shown me that working together can achieve great things and make you feel part of something bigger than yourself.
In 2013 I worked as part of a fundraising team to raise money to support activities for underprivileged children. We did this by completing the “Three Peaks Challenge”; working together to climb the highest mountain in England, Scotland and Wales - all within 24 hours. This challenge required a lot of planning and we managed to raise over £3500. We completed the challenge within 21 hours and some very bad weather conditions on Ben Nevis showed us vital our planning was and the need to work together to navigate efficiently.
Last summer, I led an “NCS” team in a month-long, self-funded project, building a sensory garden for the disabled. This demonstrates that not only am I a good team player, but also a strong leader who can win the support of a group of people.
Motivation for medicine:
I enjoy problem solving and I also have a good ability at relating to people in an empathetic and sensitive way and it is the combination of these factors that drives me to become a doctor.
I have been privileged to experience today’s NHS first hand, observing doctors in my local hospital and in general practice. Both situations, together with extended volunteering in a care home, have given me some direct, hands-on experience, which has strengthened my desire and resolve to become a doctor. My work experience opened my eyes to the brilliant work that doctors of all fields do every single day and I would love nothing more than the opportunity to reach a level of skill and care I observed.
I am determined to become one of “tomorrow’s doctors” as becoming a doctor has got to be one of the most fascinating, rewarding and purposeful careers. Studying medicine would give me an unique opportunity to be able to combine a high level of science and academia with being able to help and work with people every day; this is unrivalled in any other career.
I want you to think about what would you improve about the Manchester Non-Academic Information Form answer that I wrote in 2015.
What do I think I did well?
The spelling and grammar is largely good. There are a couple of mistakes.
I managed to reflect to some degree and relate my experiences back to answering the question.
I have shown my uniqueness and personality in my answers.
What do I think I could have improved on?
Do not abbreviate unless you have to. 'NCS' should be 'National Citizenship Service (NCS)'.
I could use a more clearer defined reflection structure like the STAR framework.
Language could have been tightened with some incorrect use of tenses.
Manchester Non-Academic Form Review
This is the only tailored service out there to help specifically with the Manchester Non-Academic Form. Manchester Medical School is increasingly competitive and it is important that you get your Non-Academic Form right.
✔ Detailed feedback from Top Doctors who review Manchester Non-Academic Forms.
✔ Email support.
✔ Proforma put together by an academic doctor.
✔ Practical steps and advice for your medical application.
✔ Online and easily accessible.
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