Full Time Access to Higher Education Medicine

Access to Higher Education Medicine

• School:
  • School of Lifelong Learning
• Attendance Type:
  • Full Time
• Course Level:
  • Level 3
• Course Keywords:
  • level 3,
  • Access,
  • Medicine,
  • science,
  • biology,
  • chemistry,
  • physics,
  • health care,
  • health,
  • medical,
  • doctor

Summary:

You need to apply early for this course as places are limited.

This access programme offers an intensive, highly demanding introduction to biomedical science for mature students who wish to apply for a medical degree and eventually to practise Medicine. It is not suitable for students who have recently taken A Levels and failed to get the necessary grades to get into medical school. The course provides a sound foundation for study of Medicine and health-related subjects at a higher level through the study of fundamental scientific principles.

Frequently Asked Questions

This information is for guidance only. It is based on a survey of the websites of every medical school in the UK. All candidates should be prepared to contact medical schools themselves in order to find out more about entry to medical training.

Q: I am 18 or 19 years old and have just got my 'A' level results. They are not good enough for medical school (ie below AAB). Will it help me to get in if I do Access to Medicine?
A. The course is not designed as a 'resit' course for A Level students. If you check university websites you will see that the majority of medical schools do not accept applications from students who did not get at least AAB at the first sitting of 'A' levels. However, there are no absolute rules about this. If you have a genuine reason for not getting the grades the first time around (eg personal problems; illness etc) then a few universities (eg Keele) will look at your application. We will never tell anyone that they cannot apply for Access to Medicine but we would advise you to contactuniversities yourself first to ask if they will look at your application based on lower grades at 'A' level combined with Access to Medicine. A few universities (eg UEA and Southampton) now have a Medicine Foundation Year for applicants whose 'A' Level grades were not good enough. These courses are usually for candidates who can prove they are from a non-traditional HE background (eg first in their family to go to HE or from a school which does not send many people to university ).

Q: I already have a degree; can I do Access to Medicine?
A: Some universities have special shortened four year medical programmes for people who have a science degree. You do not need Access to Medicine in order to apply for one of these programmes. You should normally have at least a 2.1 degree and some relevant experience; you then apply through UCAS to the university of your choice. The only reasons for a graduate to do Access to Medicine would be if they had not done a science degree or if their degree was not at 2.1 standard. A few universities (eg Swansea) will take graduates of any degree subject even without Access to Medicine; check university websites for info.

Q: What percentage of Access to Medicine students get into medical school?
A: This varies every year. What we can say clearly is that good students with relevant work experience who gain a distinction (over 70%) usually get into medical school. In 2006 UEA took 7 of our Access to Medicine students, which demonstrates that medical school staff really do view our course positively. In 2007, Cardiff took 4 of our students on their 6-year course.

Q: Who validates Access to Medicine?
A: Our Access to Medicine course is validated by CAVA, the Cambridge Access Validating Agency which is a partnership of the University of Cambridge, UEA, ARU and Homerton School of Health. CAVA courses are recognised by the QAA, the government run Quality Assurance Agency for HE, which gives them national recognition.
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Q: Which medical schools accept Access to Medicine?
A: The list below gives more details, but the following university medical schools say that they will consider applicants who have done a recognised Access to Medicine programme. Some of them mention us by name. Brighton and Sussex; Bristol; UEA; Hull/York; Keele; King's College London; Leeds; Leicester; Liverpool; Newcastle; Sheffield; Southampton; Cardiff. As candidates can only put four medical schools on their UCAS form they will find no difficulty in choosing four which welcome Access applications. There are five Access courses which are mentioned by universities on their websites; some universities will only accept specific ones. The Access courses are: 1. City College Norwich, 2. COWA (College of West Anglia, Kings Lynn), 3. Sussex Downs College, Sussex, 4. Lambeth College, 5. Manchester College of Arts and Technology. The list is subject to change; if a medical school says that they take Access applicants but that they do not currently recognise our course, it might be worth contacting them to see if they have changed their policy recently. CCN is gaining recognition all the time.

Q: Where can I study medicine?
A: The list below tells you all the universities in the country which offer medical training and also explains what they say about Access courses on their website in October 2007. University of Aberdeen : Only mentions COWA course, not ours. University of Birmingham : Does not mention Access courses at all. Brighton and Sussex Medical School : Very positive about City College Norwich Access students. They name us on their website and specify that they have taken our students in the past. University of Bristol : Positive about Access students generally, so long as they have studied a kitemarked (ie recognised) course. University of Cambridge : May consider Access students and asks enquirers to email them. University of Wales, Cardiff: "Applications from those offering alternative/vocational qualifications, eg Access courses, are welcome". University of Dundee : Does not mention Access courses at all. University of East Anglia : Very positive about CCN Access to Medicine students. Took seven of our students last year. University of Edinburgh : Only mentions COWA and Sussex Downs but asks people who are considering other Access courses to contact them to discuss their application. University of Glasgow : "Applicants on a registered Access course will be considered on an individual basis." Hull and York Medical School: Specifically mentions that they will accept the CCN Access to Medicine course. Imperial College London: Probably not; just asks for three 'A' Levels at grade A. Does not mention Access. University of Keele : "We are pleased to receive applications from applicants who are taking a registered Access to Medicine course." Encourages people to get in touch with them to check that they will meet entry requirements. King's College London (University of London): Applications from people who are doing a one year, full time Access to Medicine programme are acceptable. University of Leeds : They specify the City College Norwich Access to Medicine course as the one they accept but applicants must get a distinction (over 70%). University of Leicester : Access to Medicine is acceptable for entry if the student has achieved 6 distinctions (ie all distinctions) along with GCSE Grade C or above in English, Maths and Science. University of Liverpool : "Specified Access to Medicine courses are acceptable". University of Manchester : Does not mention Access courses but says that applicants who have an unconventional educational background (ie not A Levels) can contact them to discuss their application on an individual basis. University of Newcastle : "Applications to the standard 5 year medical course from candidates who have followed an approved Access to Medicine course will be considered. Applicants must achieve distinctions in each unit of study. " University of Nottingham : Does not mention Access courses at all. University of Oxford: Oxford University has taken some Access students in the past but does not mention medicine as one of the degrees which has taken Access applicants up to this point. However, Oxford University Medical School is not opposed in principle to Access to Medicine applicants and they say they will consider Access to Medicine candidates if their course can be shown to be at the same demanding standard as 'A' Level Chemistry. Contact them to discuss it. Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry: Does not mention Access to Medicine; says "candidates offering other qualifications" (ie not 'A' Levels) . Queen Mary, University of London: Will only consider Access to Medicine candidates if they also have some scientific subjects at A2 (ie full 'A' Level standard). Queen's University, Belfast: Does not mention Access to Medicine or mature students on their website. University of Sheffield : Very positive about mature students; will consider Access to Medicine students if they have studied a kitemarked (ie recognised) course. Please contact them to discuss your application. University of Southampton : "Approved Access courses with an appropriate scientific content" are acceptable if students gain a distinction (70% or above). University of St Andrews : Accepts Access students but not from our course. Only recognises COWA in this region. St George's , University of London: Only accepts COWA or Sussex Downs Access to Medicine candidates. University of Wales, Swansea: This medical school only accepts graduates. Does not mention Access courses. University College London: Only accepts COWA Access to Medicine course. University of Warwick : This medical school only accepts graduates. No mention of Access to Medicine courses. Applicants need a First or 2.1 in a science subject; exceptionally may consider applicants with a 2.2 in science if they also have a PhD.

Course Length:
One year - four days per week
Entry Requirements:

Ideally, you do need to have GCSE English, Maths and Science or equivalent. Qualifications at a higher level in science related areas are also desirable but not essential. The course also requires that you have had 'hands on' work experience in the health care sector. This can be either paid employment or voluntary work. These are necessary criteria if you wish to get into medical school once you have completed the programme.

If your application is successful you may be asked to attend an interview or you may be contacted by phone for further clarification with respect to your application. Your application form is very important and you will need to provide detailed information on your work experience and express your reasons for wishing to pursue a career in medicine. A full and detailed CV is also required at application.

Please be aware that this programme is not suitable for students who have recently taken A levels and failed to get the necessary grades to get into medicial school.

Core Skills:
You will study these core subject areas: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Study Skills and Mathematics and IT.

Assessment:
You will be awarded a certificate if you achieve satisfactory performance overall in various forms of assessment. Every topic module carries an assessment proportional to the total hours of teaching, and assessment includes practicals, problem solving exercises, examinations and essays.

Academic Progression:
The Access certificate is validated by CAVA and recognised by a number of medical schools but not, as yet, by all. It is also a valid entry qualification for many science and health care degrees across the country. There can be no guarantee of a place, but generally Access students do progress to university. Students who gained Distinction grades overall have progressed to a range of UK medical schools including UEA, Brighton, King's College London, Peninsula Medical School, Southhampton, Cardiff, Leicester and Barts.

Career Progression:
This is a very positive step towards a successful career in medicine and other science and health-related careers.

Full Description:
Whilst you will need to acquire knowledge specific to each subject area, the course is integrated as much as possible, with emphasis on the common scientific principles and skills involved. Practical work is an important part of the course as this is the basis of all scientific enquiry. Developing your understanding of scientific method and a critical approach to 'facts', data and theories are also important aspects of the course. As a basis for this work - and for future study and employment - there is also a strong element of study skills and computer literacy. This should help you to study effectively and to develop communication and presentation skills. Tutorial guidance is given, both in the subject areas and in a wider sense, for example with applications to medical school and interview technique.

The subjects are delivered in modules, all of which are compulsory.

Biology
In semester 1 core biology will cover the structure and function of the cell; genetics; biochemistry; some physiology and reproduction; growth and development.
In semester 2 you will study the related areas of physiology and anatomy.

Both first and second semester biology modules are assessed by essays, seminar presentation and examinations. Each module comprises four hours class time.

Chemistry
Chemistry is a core subject in both semesters for four hours per week. It covers basic concepts and applications, atoms, molecules, structure and bonding; and aspects of physical, inorganic and organic chemistry.

Mathematics.
Maths is also a core subject in both semesters. It will cover a review of mathematical techniques, maths relevant to the study of science and statistics.

Physics
This module has been designed to establish a good foundation in physics that will support you in your study of human physiology and particularly those relating to medicine. It includes topics such as forces in the body, elasticity of living materials, light, sound, radiation and applications such as modern imaging techniques.

Study Skills
This module explores some of the major issues relating to health care. It considers definitions of health as well as health care provision in both industrialised countries and in Third World settings. It also considers some of the ethical issues relating to health and medicine. It is linked to a research essay.

Tutorial guidance
Throughout both semesters you will have a weekly tutorial meeting. This will offer initial induction, advice on applying to HE, interview technique and subject support.