not many uni accept access to medicine

**roshan19_2004** · 17-08-2006, 03:25 PM

i realize not many universities accept access to medicine course, ive contacted, liverpool, birmingham,nottingham,leicester,cambridge, even manchester and london, none of them say the accept access to medicine course even if you get distinction in the whole course. just wonder which unis should i really look into apply then im really confused. its just not fair as they only accept A-Levels. anyone have any ideas.

**Tangliss** · 17-08-2006, 03:42 PM

I know for a fact that Nottingham don't accept access courses, but I was under the impression that Cambridge, Manchester and Liverpool did? I know for a fact that someone on this forum was made an offer from Manchester studying on the ATM course from Kings Lynn.

**northwill100** · 17-08-2006, 04:23 PM

Hi

ATM acceptability depends on the access course really. The one at College of West Anglia is most widely recognised & is accepted by quite a few med schools incl Liverpool, Manchester, Leicester, HYMS, Brighton, Southampton, Newcastle/Durham + others. If you have a degree you will need to probably have a 2.1 minimum.Can't comment on other ATM courses though - Norwich/MANCAT etc But am suprised you have had negative feedback from all the schools you have listed. Where are you doing the Access course - perhaps that's the problem??

Good Luck

**chadtnl** · 17-08-2006, 06:16 PM

I agree, the access course may well be the problem. There seem to be a few around and when I was checking a few out, I got to speak to some of the reps. Some of these guys sounded like used car salesmen! The courses sounded disorganised, way overpriced and they sounded like liars especially when you asked them about their credibility with the med schools.
Just don't forget to have a close look!

**DH2005** · 17-08-2006, 09:04 PM

From memory, Access to Medicine at the College of West Anglia is accepted by the following medical schools (assume 5-year, unless specified):

Aberdeen,
Brighton Sussex,
Bristol (6-year),
Cambridge (4-year),
Cardiff (6-year),
Dundee (6-year),
Durham,
Edinburgh,
Hull York,
Keele,
King's,
Leeds,
Leicester,
Liverpool,
Manchester,
Newcastle (5-year and 4-year),
Sheffield,
Southampton (5-year and 4-year),
St. Andrews (6-year),
St. George’s,
UCL and
UEA.

West Anglia has also begun to establish relationships with Barts and Imperial, and rumour has it that Glasgow may begin to accept the course from this year.

I can’t speak for other Access courses, but the West Anglia course has widespread support. That’s why it’s the best Access to Medicine course to study.

**chadtnl** · 17-08-2006, 09:47 PM

There you go Roshan, if access is what you are looking for, West Anglia is certainly one to apply for as it seems to have established quite some credibility with the med schools.
I remember talking to a guy at M&D Europe (UK) Ltd who represent the access course at sussex (PM me if you want to know who he is) and this guy knew absolutely nothing!!! He knew nothing about the access curriculum and even less about the med curriculum.
I am a graduate, he was also trying to get me to do the sussex access course, pay an extra thousand pounds for a specific english course, go to the Cayman Island do my MD there, come back to the UK, sit the PLAB (which he said was very easy) and enter the same pool of applicants for FY posts. He made it sound like a walk in the park. I sincerely hope prospective students are not falling for this guy's bullshit!
Question: Is West Anglia access the same as Kings Lynn access?

**DH2005** · 17-08-2006, 09:53 PM

Answer: Yes.

**roshan19_2004** · 18-08-2006, 12:34 AM

well i havent done the access course yet i am looking to do it at mancat, but as far as im concerned i have asked most of the universities and most say no to access to medicine even the king's lynn one. cambridge say no as well because they say there is alot of stiff competition between A-Level students. so they said the chances of getting in is very grim. other universities like manchester said they are not really consider access course as formal entry level for medicine. even though access to medicine at west anglia is well know its not really recognized at all by many universities they still prefer A-Levels. So im currently think whether or not i should do A-Levels instead of doing access to medicine course. it sounds very disappointing as i was so happy that i got in to access course but no it seems its letting me down. anyone have any opinion...

**thinkerbelle** · 18-08-2006, 01:08 AM

when i spoke to manchester uni, they said they didn't have a problem with atm course at mancat, if you do well and have/get b or above in eng lang gcse you should have the same chance as other applicants. mancat said to me at least half of their students have been offered places at uni's in the past so I wouldn't worry too much.

from what I've heard, mancat is not the most widely accepted atm course, if you want to apply to more than just manchester, maybe the kings atm is more useful.

and there is bound to be speculation over whether atm courses are a good route, etc etc. All i would say is that if you find the course is not the best route for you there are always other ways and you'll get there in the end. (and i hope mancat is not that bad

)!

**DH2005** · 18-08-2006, 01:14 AM

I would also say that medical schools don't always fall over themselves to advertise their approval for Access to Medicine - I telephoned George's and King's before starting at King's Lynn, and both said that they didn't accept applicants from the course... tell that to the six people in my intake who got offers from those institutions.

I've no idea why this happens.