What is a Medicine access course?

[simisims]

Hi Im really sorry if this has been posted before. Ive read that a Medicine access course is aimed at health professionals primarily, is it possible for someone who has say completed their A Levels and are not sucessful in applying for Medicine whilst at college/sixth form to start an access course instead of going into the graduate entry route? Also are access to Medicine courses difficult to gain entry into? And is it expensive to complete such courses?

Thank You.

[ManFromTheJam]

Yes, this option is available to people in these circumstances, in accordance to:

There is a genuine reason for non achievement at A levels, with evidence of this. And/or you have gained A levels in non science subjects (arts).

Access courses accept students from 19 years.

A level students who already meet the matriculation of the Universities (pre-access) (typically AAB) may have difficulties finding an access course who will accept them, or later, medical schools who will consider them. I quote 'access is not a top up for A levels'. Some universities will decline these applications without consideration.

Access is for people who think differently, with different backgrounds and expiriences, offering new openings into the profession. It is not there to help students who didn't make the grade without good reason. Whether I agree with this system or not is irrelevant, its the facts.

Graduate entry from a student who always wanted to study medicine is ridiculous. it would make life much harder. Trust me, graduate entry is not a good idea UNLESS you already are a graduate. A degree will NOT help your application, in many instances it will make applications much more difficult. LAST RESORT for GRADUATES.

I know, I did just that!

If you find the right Access course and get a place, tuition is largely free, but don't expect hand outs. You will need money to live on. You will not have time, realistically, to find much in the way of paid employment.

As for ease of Access, it is hard to say. Access courses for med want applicants who they believe can a) master the content of the course in the given time frame and b) have the right attitude to become a good life-long health professional.

Academic qualities are not everything, this is not the only fundamental part of the Access course, who you are matters the in equal weighting.

If you are the right person, you will easily get a place, but without meeting you, nobody can really say.

It costs nothing to apply; you have nothing to lose but an envelope and a stamp.

Hope this helps, all the best with your applications, sorry about the rubbish English, not much time!

Rob

[simisims]

Thanks you have really helped me out, Im having quite a bit of trouble with my A Levels at the moment like my Biology being stopped cause of time-table clashes and with the timing of most exams for A Levels I get ill and end up in hospital so my grades suffer (last year's AS results A,B,C,D). I have wanted to do medicine for about 7 years and I couldnt do anything else, ive looked but nothing other than being a doctor has appealed to me!

No Worries about the English thing!

[racheljane]

Hi Simisims, Rob has given you an excellent answer but can I also add that although the minimum age is 19 at the start of an Access to Medicine course (I noticed on your profile you are 17 at the moment), many of the courses won't take anyone under 21 or straight out of sixth form. If your A2 results aren't as good as you'd have hoped, it might be a good idea to get a year or two of good health care work experience, voluntary work, first aiding with Red Cross or St Johns for example, progress in a job related to health care, etc. and then you'll have lots of the med schools' non-academic criteria fulfilled if/when you resit A Levels or apply to an Access to Med course.

Best of luck and don't worry not everyone gets it all first time round... I'm 34 and still in with a good chance of being a doctor despite taking a VERY long time to do it!

[simisims]

Thanks racheljane, I am currently doing voluntary work in a hospital and in a primary school and Im about to begin a first aid course. I was asking about the access to medicine course because alot of people say doing a degree first is better if you are unsuccessful in applying in the first place as an undergraduate. But for me going in as a graduate wouldnt be practical due to various reasons.