Widening access to medicine

Through Access Sheffield we support students and encourage applications from home students from under-represented groups, who have the potential to become good doctors but would not normally consider this as a serious option.

In addition, we also have created routes of entry for Home students from Widening Participation backgrounds who are studying certain courses at the University of Bradford and Sheffield Hallam University.

Our MBChB Graduate Entry Medicine A101 course is open only to Home students from Widening Participation backgrounds. We also encourage applications from mature students and consider people from a variety of backgrounds and of differing ages.

2024-25 entry

Graduate Entry Medicine MBChB

Access Sheffield

The Medical School participates in the University's Access Sheffield scheme. Depending on their circumstances, MBChB Medicine A100 applicants who are residents of neighbourhoods with low participation in higher education, care leavers, students who are estranged from their families, and carers may be eligible for an alternative offer equivalent to one grade below the standard A Level entry requirements provided they make Sheffield their Firm choice with UCAS.

2024-25 entry

Medicine MBChB

Schools and Colleges Outreach

We offer a range of activities, events and resources tailored to the needs of your students.

UCAT 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.

Access to Sheffield (Medicine)

The Access to Sheffield (Medicine) scheme gives local Home students in years 12-13, from under-represented groups, the opportunity to enter the degree course in medicine. It has become increasingly evident that pupils from lower socio-economic groups are disadvantaged when applying to study Medicine. Their schools do not usually have a record of academic achievements and many pupils have a family background that may prevent them from progressing into post-16 education.

Those who work hard to overcome these barriers do not often have the opportunity to undertake suitable work experience and therefore, may have difficulty in demonstrating a commitment to caring, and that they are suitable for a career in a caring profession.

GCSE Requirement

Applicants for the MBChB Medicine A100 programme are required to have a minimum of five GCSE passes at grade 9-6 (grades A*-B) with grade 4 (grade C) or above in Science (Double Award accepted), Mathematics and English Language.

Please note:

• The GCSE requirements should have been met by the point of application;
• The relevant GCSEs should be studied for no longer than two years;
• The relevant GCSEs do not have to be obtained in the same sitting or year;
• We accept GCSE resits.  Any and all GCSE resits must be taken in the same sitting, and only one resit per GCSE is permitted.  Only those GCSEs that do not meet the above entry requirements need to be retaken;
• Non-GCSE qualifications (such as Level 2 OCR qualifications) taken alongside GCSEs are not considered as equivalent and do not count towards meeting the GCSE requirement.  If you have not studied GCSEs, please contact the Medical Admissions Office for information about alternative acceptable qualifications and required levels of achievement.

A Level Requirement

Applicants are required to have or be predicted to attain at least ABB at A Level, including Chemistry or Biology and one other science (Mathematics, Physics, Biology and Psychology).  The A grade does not have to be in Chemistry or Biology.

• Applicants who receive offers will receive a Standard Offer of AAA at A Level and an Adjusted Offer of ABB at A Level. 
• For Access to Sheffield (Medicine) applicants, the Adjusted Offer of ABB will apply if the applicant completes the Access to Sheffield (Medicine) programme and firmly accepts the offer.  If the applicant chooses to accept the University of Sheffield as an insurance choice, the standard offer of AAA will apply;
• The three A Levels should be studied for no longer than two years and must all be taken in the same first sitting;
• We are unable to consider A Level examinations taken early;
• We accept A Level resits.  Any and all A Level resits must be taken in one sitting, and only one resit per A Level is permitted.  Only those A Levels that do not meet the above entry requirements need to be retaken but applicants must ensure that their attained and predicted grades mean that they can meet our minimum standard entry requirement of AAA (in case they choose to accept our offer as their insurance choice); 
• Please note that A Level Critical Thinking and A Level General Studies do not count towards meeting our A Level requirement;
• We do not accept A Level Further Mathematics.  For applicants who take four A Levels in a two-year period (typically years 12 and 13 at school) including Mathematics and Further Mathematics, we will accept the Mathematics A Level, even if it is taken in Year 12 and irrespective of whether the A Level is certificated in Year 12 or 13.  It is expected that Chemistry or Biology and another subject (that is not Critical Thinking, Further Mathematics or General Studies) will be taken in Year 13.

Applicants offering A Levels and an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

Our standard offer for applicants from Access to Sheffield (Medicine) offering an EPQ taken alongside A Levels is AAB at A Level plus an A or A* grade EPQ. 

• Applicants who receive offers will receive Standard Offers of AAA at A Level and AAB at A Level plus A or A* grade EPQ and an Adjusted Offer of ABB at A Level. 
• The standard offers are not dependent on the applicant accepting the offer as their Firm choice.
• For Access to Sheffield (Medicine) applicants, the adjusted offer will apply if the applicant completes the Access to Sheffield (Medicine) programme and firmly accepts the offer.  If the applicant chooses to accept the University of Sheffield as an insurance choice, the standard offers will apply;
• The same subject requirements for A Levels that apply to applicants without an EPQ (see above) apply to applicants offering an EPQ.
• A level 3 extended project qualification is required and this must have been taken alongside A Levels.  (Typically this is in Year 12 or 13 at school.)
• The EPQ can be in any subject;
• Level 3 EPQs taken alongside GCSEs, Level 2 EPQs, BTECs, City and Guilds Level 3, Level 3 NVQs and OCR Nationals are not accepted;
• No adjustment is made to the GCSE entry requirements for applicants offering an EPQ;
• Where an applicant is taking an EPQ alongside A Levels but is predicted to attain less than an A grade in their EPQ, they will be required to have or be predicted ABB at A Level.
• Where an applicant has taken an EPQ but is resitting one or more A Levels, no adjustment to the standard requirement for AAA grades at A Level will be made, irrespective of the grade attained in the EPQ. Such applicants, therefore, need to resit sufficient A Levels to read the AAA grade at A Level requirement (in case they choose to accept our offer as their insurance choice). 

University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) Requirement

Applicants are required to meet the same UCAT threshold of 2440/3600 as all other applicants. Applicants who meet the above requirements bypass stage 2b of our selection process and are guaranteed to be invited to attend a Multiple Mini-Interview.

Applicants are not ranked on their UCAT scores.

Please note that an invitation to attend a Multiple Mini-Interview does not guarantee an offer of a place.

Contact

If you would like more information about the Realising Opportunities scheme, please contact Denise Brooks, Outreach and Widening Participation Officer:

• Tel: +44 114 222 1027
• Email: ROSheffield@sheffield.ac.uk

University of Bradford Foundation in Clinical Sciences/Medicine students (UCAS code B991) or BSc Clinical Sciences (UCAS code B990)

We will consider for entry to Year 1 of our A100 MBChB programme UCAS applications from Home students from Widening Participation backgrounds who have taken the Foundation in Clinical Science/Medicine Course (UCAS code B991) or Year 1 of the BSc Clinical Sciences (UCAS code B990) at the University of Bradford. 

Applicants from these two courses should apply to us via UCAS once they have their end-of-year results, and no later than 5pm on 30 June 2024. Interviews will be held in July 2024.

Please note that we do not accept other Foundation or Access courses not listed on these pages and we do not consider applicants in Year 1 from other degree programmes not listed on these pages. We will not normally consider applications from students in Year 2 of the Bradford BSc Clinical Sciences course. Applicants are required to demonstrate that they meet all of the following widening participation, academic and UCAT requirements:

Widening Participation Requirements

This route of entry to the Medicine - MBChBA100 programme is only open to Home students from Widening Participation backgrounds. It is not open to Home students who are not from a Widening Participation background or to International applicants.

We will consider applicants to meet our widening participation criteria if they met any two or more of the following criteria at the point they left Further Education:

• Lived in an area with a low progression to higher education
• Lived in a deprived area
• Received free school meals in years 10-13
• Received a 16-19 Bursary or similar grant
• Was a young carer
• Lived in local authority care during their secondary education
• Was estranged from both parents or legal guardians during their secondary/further education
• Were the first in their family to enter higher education
• Have parents who were unemployed or working in unskilled jobs
• Have a disability

We will determine whether applicants meet our widening participation entry requirements by sending them a simple form to complete, which includes definitions for the criteria set our above. You may download the form and submit it to medadmissions@sheffield.ac.uk. Alternatively, we will send this to applicants to complete on receipt of their application. 

Download widening participation form (Word, 52.6KB)

Applicants will be required to return the form to us by 5pm on 30 June 2024 at the latest, and we will not be able to process the application if the completed form is not received by that deadline. Applicants who receive offers will be required to provide supporting evidence at registration.

GCSE Requirements

Applicants for the A100 programme are required to have a grade 4 (grade C) or above in Mathematics and English Language.

Please note:

• The relevant GCSEs should have been studied for no longer than two years;
• The GCSEs do not have to be obtained in the same sitting or year;
• We accept GCSE resits. GCSE resits should have been studied for not longer than two years and must be taken in one sitting. Only one resit per GCSE is permitted. Only those GCSEs that do not meet the above entry requirements need to be retaken;
• Non-GCSE qualifications (such as Level 2 OCR qualifications) are not considered as equivalent and do not count towards meeting the GCSE requirement. If you have not studied GCSEs, please contact the Medical Admissions Office for information about alternative acceptable qualifications and required levels of achievement.

A Level Requirement

A Levels are not considered for applicants applying from the University of Bradford Foundation in Clinical Sciences/Medicine (B991) or BSc Clinical Science (B990) Year 1.

Foundation in Clinical Science/Medicine or BSc Clinical Science Year 1 Requirements

Applicants studying the University of Bradford Foundation in Clinical Science/Medicine programme (UCAS code B991) are required to have attained an overall score of 70% or more and to have scored 70% or more in the Chemistry for Clinical Sciences module (Module code CLS3003-B).  Applicants studying the University of Bradford BSc Clinical Sciences programme (UCAS code B990) are required to have attained an overall score of 70% or more in their end-of-year examinations.

Please note:

• Applicants must meet the above academic entry criteria at the point of application to be considered for interview;
• We do not accept any other Foundation courses or Access courses not specifically listed on these web pages;
• We do not consider applicants from the first year of any other degree programme not specifically listed on these web pages.

University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) Requirement

Applicants are required to meet the same minimum UCAT threshold as all other applicants. If you took the UCAT in 2023 you will need to have attained a score of at least 2440/3600.  

Applicants who did not take the UCAT in 2023 will be considered if they take the UCAT in July 2024. Such applicants will need to attain the minimum UCAT threshold that will be set for the 2025 admissions cycle and published on our website in April orMay 2024 and any offer made will be conditional on their meeting this requirement.

Applicants who meet the above requirements bypass stage 2b of our selection process and are guaranteed to be invited to attend a Multiple Mini-Interview. These interviews will be held in July 2024. Applicants applying via this route will only be ranked on their UCAT score if we receive more applicants than we can invite to interview.

Please note that an invitation to attend a Multiple Mini-Interview does not guarantee an offer of a place.

Those who have spent two or more years in Higher Education prior to the start of the MBChB programme may not be eligible for full funding support from Student Finance England. Such applicants are strongly advised to check their eligibility for funding with Student Finance England before submitting an application.

Sheffield Hallam Biomedical Science with a Foundation Year students (UCAS Code A049) or BSc Biomedical Sciences (UCAS Code B940)

We will consider for entry to Year 1 of our A100 MBChB programme UCAS applications from Home students from Widening Participation backgrounds who have completed the first year of the Biomedical Science with a Foundation Year Course (UCAS Code A049) or Year 1 of the BSc Biomedical Sciences (UCAS Code B940) at Sheffield Hallam University.  

Applicants will be required to return the form to us by 5pm on 30th June 2024 at the latest, and we will not be able to process the application if the completed form is not received by that deadline. Applicants who receive offers will be required to provide supporting evidence at registration.

Please note that we do not accept other Foundation or Access courses not listed on these web pages.  We will not normally consider applications from students in Year 2 of the Sheffield Hallam University Biomedical Sciences course.  Applicants are required to demonstrate that they meet all of the following widening participation, academic and UCAT requirements:

Widening Participation Requirements

This route of entry to the Medicine - MBChB (A100) programme is only open to Home students from Widening Participation backgrounds.  It is not open to Home students who are not from a Widening Participation background or to International applicants.

We will consider applicants to meet our widening participation criteria if they met any two or more of the following criteria at the point they left Further Education:

• Lived in an area with a low progression to higher education
• Lived in a deprived area
• Received free school meals in years 10-13
• Received a 16-19 Bursary or similar grant
• Was a young carer
• Lived in local authority care during their secondary education
• Was estranged from both of their parents or legal guardians during their secondary/further education
• Were the first in their family to enter higher education
• Have parents who were unemployed or working in unskilled jobs
• Have a disability

We will determine whether applicants meet our widening participation entry requirements by sending them a simple form to complete which includes definitions for the criteria set out above. You may download the form and submit it to medadmissions@sheffield.ac.uk.  Alternatively, we will send this to applicants to complete on receipt of their application.

Download the widening participation form (Word, 52.6KB)

Applicants will be required to return the form to us by 5pm on 4 July 2023 at the latest, and we will not be able to process the application if the completed form is not received by the deadline. Applicants who receive offers will be required to provide supporting evidence at registration.

GCSE Requirements

Applicants for the A100 programme are required to have a grade 4 (grade C) or above in Mathematics and English Language.

Please note:

• The relevant GCSEs should have been studied for no longer than two years;
• The GCSEs do not have to be obtained in the same sitting or year;
• We accept GCSE resits.  GCSE resits should have been studied for not longer than two years and must be taken in one sitting.  Only one resit per GCSE is permitted.  Only those GCSEs that do not meet the above entry requirements need to be retaken;
• Non-GCSE qualifications (such as Level 2 OCR qualifications) are not considered as equivalent and do not count towards meeting the GCSE requirement.  If you have not studied GCSEs, please contact the Medical Admissions Office for information about alternative qualifications and required levels of achievement.

A Level Requirement

A Levels are not considered for applicants applying from the Sheffield Hallam University Biomedical Science with a Foundation Year (A049) or BSc Biomedical Science (B940) Year 1.

Biomedical Science with a Foundation Year or BSc Biomedical Science Year 1 Requirements

Applicants studying the Sheffield Hallam University Biomedical Science with a Foundation Year programme (UCAS code A049) are required to have attained an overall score of 70% or more in the end-of-first-year examinations.  Applicants studying the Sheffield Hallam University BSc Biomedical Sciences course (UCAS code B940) are required to have attained an overall score of 70% or more in their end-of-year examinations.

Please note:

• Applicants must meet the above academic entry criteria at the point of application to be considered for interview;
• We do not accept any other Foundation courses or Access courses not specifically listed on these web pages;
• We do not consider applicants from the first year of any other degree programme not listed on these web pages.

University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) Requirement

Applicants are required to meet the same minimum UCAT threshold as all other applicants. If you took the UCAT in 2023 you will need to have attained a score of at least 2440/3600.  

Applicants who did not take the UCAT in 2023 will be considered if they take the UCAT in July 2024. Such applicants will need to attain the minimum UCAT threshold that will be set for the 2025 admissions cycle and published on our website in April orMay 2024 and any offer made will be conditional on their meeting this requirement.

Applicants who meet the above requirements bypass stage 2b of our selection process and are guaranteed to be invited to attend a Multiple Mini-Interview. These interviews will be held in July 2024. Applicants applying via this route will only be ranked on their UCAT score if we receive more applicants than we can invite to interview.

Please note that an invitation to attend a Multiple Mini-Interview does not guarantee an offer of a place.

Those who have spent two or more years in Higher Education prior to the start of the MBChB programme may not be eligible for full funding support from Student Finance England. Such applicants are strongly advised to check their eligibility for funding with Student Finance England before submitting an application.