Widening Participation and Outreach
We are committed to improving access to our courses for students who are under-represented both in higher education and within the field of Medicine, Dentistry and Health.
For students to book
- New Starter Programme
-
About the programme
Students beginning Adult Nursing, Orthoptics and Speech and Language Therapy degrees with us are invited to join the New Starter Programme before the start of the term. The three-day programme is designed to help students find their feet at University, feel at home with us and hit the ground running when courses begin. It includes both online and face-to-face sessions on professional expectations, placements, academic skills, library and support services.
Second-year and third-year students are on hand to escort participants to the relevant clinical areas they will be working in and share their valuable advice on settling in as a student. Lunch is provided while students are on-campus and there are plenty of opportunities to get to know others on the course in a relaxed environment.
Joining the programme
All new students will be invited by email to register for a place on the programme in late August.
If you have accepted an offer from us and you have not received an invitation, please contact Ami Swales (a.l.swales@sheffield.ac.uk).
Places for the on-campus elements are limited. In the event that more students register for the programme than there are available places, students from Widening Participation backgrounds, who are under-represented in Higher Education or in our Health Science courses will be prioritised in order to comply with our statutory obligation to support these students. Further information on access, success and progression for the groups which we have identified as being under-represented is available in our Access and Participation Plan.
New Starter Programme Prioritisation Framework
Students who wish to attend will be scored and prioritised according to the criteria below, with one point awarded for each:
- Students living in an area with low participation in Higher Education
- Students from under-represented ethnic groups (Black, Black British- Caribbean and Other Black backgrounds)
- Students who identify as male
- Students who received or were entitled to discretionary learner payments, 16–19 bursary or free school meals (FSM) at college or secondary school
- Mature students
- Students with a declared disability
- Carers
- Care leavers
- Students who are living independently from their families
- Students with alternative qualifications (eg. anything other than A-levels)
- Medical work experience
-
We are delighted to be able to offer 5 fully funded work experience placements at Rotherham General Hospital this June.
The work experience will allow students to visit theatres, shadow ward rounds and spend time in clinics. Students will be able to observe and practice some basic clinical skills and engage in ethical debates as well as speaking to doctors and medical students to gain an insight into medical training.
Work experience dates
Work experience runs from 26th - 30th June at Rotherham General Hospital. You must be able to make your own way to the hospital for the duration of the placement.
Selection criteria
In order to be offered a fully funded place on the work experience programme at Rotherham you must meet the following essential widening participation criteria:
- Attend a state school in South Yorkshire
- Be in Year 12 and on track to achieve the minimum entry requirements to study Medicine
Eligible applicants will be scored and prioritised according to the criteria below, with 1 point awarded for each:
- Students from under-represented ethnic groups
- Students living in an area with low participation in Higher Education (POLAR4 ranking is Quintile 1)
- Students receiving or entitled to discretionary learner payments, 16–19 bursary or free school meals (FSM) at college or secondary school
- Students with a declared disability
- Carers
- Care leavers
- Students from military families
- Students who are living independently from their families
Applicants will also be asked the following questions:
- Why do you want to be a doctor? (100 words max)
- What would you like to gain from taking part in this work experience? (100 words max)
Highest ranking applicants based on the Widening Participation criteria above will then be selected. If two or more applicants have the same number of points, selection will be based on your answers for the two questions outlined above.
How to apply
Applications are now open and close on Monday 29th May at 5pm. No applications will be considered if they are submitted after the deadline.
Parent/guardian and school permission will be requested along with photo permissions.If you have any questions regarding this work experience offer please contact Ami Swales on a.l.swales@sheffield.ac.uk
- UCAT 2023 online course
-
A free course for Year 12 students applying to Medicine or Dentistry. Interviews for these courses are offered to applicants with the highest UCAT scores; therefore your UCAT test is a crucial component of your application.
This course introduces the skills and techniques you need to improve your score and provides guided practice on each of the five parts of the test.
Additionally, you will be given feedback on your answers by our student ambassadors who will help you to improve and answer any questions you may have about the exam.
Course dates
10 July to 13 August 2023
Time commitment
10 hours over 5 weeks. Please note that this course is designed to be taken in addition to your own individual study. Students who get the highest scores on the UCAT generally spend 25-30 hours preparing for the exam in total.
Course structure
Each week the course will cover a different subtest of the UCAT exam and include one online lesson with practice activities plus a timed mock test. You must complete these within the week they are released in order to receive feedback on your work, but they may be done at any time within that week at your own pace. You will also have access to discussion forums, where you can ask questions and discuss topics about the UCAT with current and aspiring medical and dental students.
- Week 1: Verbal Reasoning
- Week 2: Decision Making
- Week 3: Quantitative Reasoning
- Week 4: Abstract Reasoning
- Week 5: Situational Judgement
Eligibility criteria and prioritisation framework
In order to be offered a place on the online UCAT Preparation course at the University of Sheffield, you must meet the following essential widening participation criteria:
- Attend a state school
- Be in Year 12 and on track to achieve the minimum entry requirements to study Medicine or Dentistry at Sheffield.
In the event that there are more applications than available places on the course, applicants meeting one or more of the following criteria will be prioritised:
- Students who are in the first generation of their immediate family to enter higher education before the age of 21
- Students from under-represented ethnic groups
- Students living in an area with low participation in Higher Education. (You can check this by searching for your postcode on the Office For Students website. If your POLAR3 or POLAR4 ranking is Quintile 1 or 2, you live in an area with low participation)
- Students receiving or entitled to discretionary learner payments, 16–19 bursary or free school meals (FSM) at college or secondary school
- Students with a declared disability
- Carers
- Care leavers
- Students from military families
Students who are living independently from their families
Students on the Access to Sheffield Medicine and Dentistry programmes are guaranteed a place subject to completion of the application form before the deadline.The UCAT online course is run by outreach staff and student ambassadors and is independent of staff involved with admissions decisions at the University of Sheffield.
Applications open on Monday 22 May and close on Friday 23 June.
- 2-year programmes for year 12 students
- Additional resources
Schools and colleges outreach
We can offer tailored events and activities to schools and colleges for year 12 and 13 students online or face-to-face including:
- Subject talks featuring taster activities and a Q&A with current students:
- Study for a Career in Healthcare (including Adult Nursing, Speech & Language Therapy and Orthoptics)
- Medicine
- Dentistry
- Bio-dental science and technology
- Dental Hygiene and Therapy
- Health & Human Sciences
- Making successful applications (including personal statements, work experience, introduction to UCAT exam preparation, interviews)
For general school enquiries about the university or non faculty specific visits please contact our schools liaison team at outreach@sheffield.ac.uk.
Find contact details for specific programmes
To get in touch about any of these opportunities, or for a discussion about how the faculty can help you to engage your students, please contact Ami Swales (a.l.swales@sheffield.ac.uk).