Undergraduate Admissions Policy - School of Medicine 2021-22

Please see Course Search for the course list, typical entry requirements, and accepted qualifications. 

The School of Medicine recognises that some applicants may have studied a more flexible curriculum, where they have been able to progress through their educational development at an appropriate rate according to their ability. Where a Level 2 (for example, GCSE) or Level 3 (for example, A-Level) qualification has been taken ‘early’ the academic reference should include the reasons for this so that it can be taken into consideration by the admissions team. 

The Faculty recognises that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and International Independent Project Qualification (IPQ) provide the opportunity for applicants to develop important research and academic skills, and may include it as part of an alternative conditional offer. Where applicable this will be detailed on Course Search. 

The School of Medicine does not accept Level 2 Functional Skills English in lieu of GCSE English.  

In order to gain admittance to all programmes within the School applicants must pass the following checks:

• Fitness to practice
• Occupational health
• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

Due to the nature of the programmes and professions, and to meet statutory and professional requirements, all candidates who are offered a place on these courses will be required to complete an occupational health questionnaire and, where necessary, assessment. Offers made are conditional upon a satisfactory occupational health assessment and clearance.   

Applicants with a health-related issue should contact the relevant academic school as soon as possible if their health is likely to impact on their ability to engage with the admissions process or subsequent course.   

Documentation 

In addition to the documents listed in the corresponding section of the University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy, if you wish to submit any documentation regarding extenuating circumstances this must be done at the time of application. Failure to do this will result in this information not being taken into account. Submission should be by email to the relevant email address listed in the Useful contacts and resources section below.  

References  

The reference section of the application is carefully considered by the School of Medicine and is an important part of the selection process. For undergraduate referees, further information on writing the reference is available on UCAS.  

Eligible Access to Leeds and Realising Opportunities candidates will be considered for an alternative offer. However, the following minimum requirements will usually apply to any alternative offer made. Gateway Year to Medicine is not open to Access to Leeds and Realising Opportunities candidates and has its own eligibility criteria (detailed below).

Diagnostic Radiography BSc, Healthcare Science (Audiology) BSc, Healthcare Science (Cardiac Physiology) BSc 

Access to Leeds students are eligible for consideration for an Access to Leeds offer if they meet the University’s GCSE matriculation standard and have gained at least a GCSE grade C/4 (or equivalent) in five GSCEs including Science, Maths, and English. 

The alternative offer will be conditional upon successfully completing the Access to Leeds module and making the University of Leeds their firm choice as well as a reduction of two A Level grades (across two of three A levels, if taken), OR an equivalent reduction where alternative qualifications are offered. A minimum of a B (or equivalent) would still be required in a science subject. 

Medicine and Surgery MBChB 

Access to Leeds students are eligible for consideration for an Access to Leeds offer if they meet the University’s GCSE matriculation standard and have gained at least a GCSE grade C/4 (or equivalent) in six GSCEs including English Language; Mathematics; Dual/Double Science, or Science and Additional Science, or Chemistry and Biology. 

The alternative offer will be conditional upon successfully completing the Access to Leeds module and making the University of Leeds their firm choice as well as a reduction of two A Level grades (across two of three A levels, if taken), OR an equivalent reduction where alternative qualifications are offered. The reduction of grades will NOT be applied to Chemistry and/or Biology. 

Gateway Year to Medicine

We are committed to identifying all applicants who have the potential to succeed at the University of Leeds. All applicants to this course will be from a widening participation background but not part of Access to Leeds or Realising Opportunities, which is for direct entry to A100 MBChB. 

Applicants who meet two or more of the following criteria are eligible to apply for the Gateway Year to Medicine:  

• From a household with an annual income of £25,000 or below OR in receipt of 16-19 Bursary Fund or Discretionary Learner Support with income threshold of £25,000, OR in receipt of free school meals during their GCSE studies 
• In the first generation of their immediate family to apply to higher education    
• Attends, or has attended, a school which achieved less than the national average Attainment 8 score at GCSE  
• Studies disrupted by circumstances in their personal, social or domestic lives  
• Live in a geographical area with low levels of progression onto higher education   
• Living or grew up in public care   

Accredited prior learning (APL) is a process undertaken by the University in order to assess and, as appropriate, recognise prior experiential learning or prior certificated learning for academic purposes. For further information see the corresponding Advanced Entry section of the University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy. 

Diagnostic Radiography BSc, Healthcare Science (Audiology) BSc, Healthcare Science (Cardiac Physiology) BSc

The School of Medicine will consider applications from those who are seeking entry to Year 2 on these programmes. All applications must be made through UCAS, as per the deadlines outlined in the Application routes and deadlines section. To be eligible, clinical placements must be available AND the applicant must demonstrate:  

• successful completion of all modules in the first year study  
• confirmation of details of modules and student performance from the current programme they wish to transfer from 
• learning outcomes of year 1 of the relevant programme against which advanced standing is sought have been met  

Judgements on equivalence are made by the Admissions Tutor. Entry onto Level 3 of these courses is not permitted. 

Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) - year 2 entry via the Bradford Partnership 

The School of Medicine will consider applications from the Bradford Partnership programme to Year 2.

20 students from year 1 of the University of Bradford's Clinical Sciences BSc Course are admitted at the beginning of the second year of the MBChB course.  

Please note, this route is closing after Summer 2021.

A successful transfer applicant must have been academically successful on the course, have a strong personal statement and referee statement and perform well at interview. The process used to assess applicants is very similar to the normal assessment process and includes the use of BMAT. Further details can be found in the transfer policy.   

Medicine and Surgery (MBChB)  - year 3 entry for qualified dentists

The School of Medicine will accept applications from qualified dentists who wish to train as maxillo-facial surgeons. Entry to the third year of the course may be possible for dentists who meet the following criteria when places are available:  

• have gained a registered qualification with the General Dental Council 
• have obtained Part 1 of the MJDF or MFDS  
• have been in an approved hospital post for at least one year  

Places may not be available in any given year - please contact the Admissions team for details. You can find their details in the Useful contacts and resources section below.

Decision on such applications are made by the Academic Admissions Tutor (or other academic lead).  

Gateway Year to Medicine 

Not applicable. 

Full-time undergraduate applications must be made through UCAS by 29 January 2021 (normally 15 January but extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic) except Medicine and Surgery and Gateway Year to Medicine, which have a 15 October 2020 deadline.

The School of Medicine reserves the right to consider applications submitted after this date. Availability of courses in UCAS Extra will be detailed on the UCAS website at the appropriate stage in the cycle.

The Bradford Partnership transfer application is made via a web-form. 

Due to the nature of the courses we do not offer part-time study. 

Diagnostic Radiography, Cardiac Physiology and Audiology: The School of Medicine will consider applications from applicants who wish to transfer onto Diagnostic Radiography, Cardiac Physiology and Audiology from other courses within the University of Leeds and other institutions. Each will be reviewed on an individual basis with consideration of the following:  

• clinical placements are available  
• relevant entry requirements have been obtained for entry onto the programme they wish to transfer to  
• a personal statement to support entry onto the programme they wish to transfer to  
• confirmation of details of modules and student performance from the current programme they wish to transfer from.  

Students wishing to be considered for second year entry should consult the section above for more information on Advanced Entry. 

MBChB programme or Gateway Year to Medicine: The School of Medicine will not accept applications from applicants who wish to transfer to the MBChB programme or Gateway Year to Medicine from other undergraduate programmes at the University of Leeds or elsewhere. Applicants are expected to complete their course before commencing on the MBChB i.e. they may apply either after graduation OR during the final year of study.   

The School of Medicine may consider applications from current medical students or from applicants who have previously attended another medical school, if they hold qualifications equivalent to the entry requirements to our course and can demonstrate:

• evidence of exceptional extenuating circumstances  
• excellent academic record at their current institution  
• support for the transfer from their current institution   

If all these areas are met the admissions team would ensure compatibility with the courses and availability of places on the MBChB. Any initial approach regarding this should be directly from the student’s current institution. Depending on the degree of mismatch between curricula, applicants transferring to Leeds may be required to enter the Leeds curriculum at an earlier point than they had achieved at their original institution.  

For details of transfers via the Bradford Partnership see the beginning of this section and the Advanced Entry section above. 

The University of Leeds offers a number of alternative routes in order to widen access to higher education. 

For further details of our Access to Leeds (A2L) and Realising Opportunities Schemes see the corresponding section of the University of Leeds Admissions Policy. 

Alternative Entry Scheme for mature applicants 

As per the information detailed in the corresponding section of the University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy the School of Medicine will consider prospective students via the Alternative Entry Scheme run by the Lifelong Learning Centre. 

Mature students, those who will be over 21 at the point of entry, wishing to study on a full-time basis should apply using the standard application procedure detailed in the Application Routes and Deadlines section above. Applicants are assessed on the basis of their application form. 

Applicants will be required to take part in a Multi Mini Interview (MMI), in line with standard procedure for all other applicants, to assess the non-academic attributes required to study these courses.    

Support is available through the Lifelong Learning Centre (LLC) and includes pre-entry advice, guidance and preparatory courses for adults, developing academic skills before entry and information on a range of issues relevant to such applicants. For further details, see the Lifelong Learning Centre website.   

Due to the nature of the programmes covered by this admissions policy, we regret that we are unable to accept applications from students wishing to study part-time.  

In addition to the information in the corresponding section of the University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy, please note applicants must be 18 years of age or over by the time they start clinical placements.  

Some courses within the School of Medicine (as indicated on Course Search) may involve regular access to children and/or vulnerable adults. As a result, applicants to these courses will be required to declare a criminal conviction at the application stage in order that certain checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service can be undertaken. Admission may not be possible where satisfactory results are not achieved. The University will send further instructions as part of the admissions process where such checks are required.  

The School of Medicine is obliged to refuse admission to applicants for certain courses which are regulated by national or statutory bodies where enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks or Certificates of Good Conduct reveal prior criminal behaviour giving rise to concern for the protection of the public.  

International Students: The DBS check is for UK records only. If the student has been resident in the UK for less than three years, a criminal record check from their home country is required in addition to the UK DBS check. This may be referred to as a ‘Certificate of Good Conduct’, but the name varies. 

The School of Medicine will consider applications from those who have previously applied to the institution. Where appropriate, such candidates may be able to apply for Advanced Entry. 

Applications from candidates who have been permanently excluded (expelled) from the University for disciplinary reasons, those who have been excluded under the Referred Student Procedure or for reasons of misconduct or fitness to train in a professionally regulated discipline will be rejected. Applicants should contact the school for further information.   

Medicine and Surgery and Gateway Year to Medicine MBChB

The School of Medicine will accept applications from applicants who have resubmitted applications. Re-applications from those that have achieved the required grades at first attempt will be assessed in competition with all the other applications.  

Applicants are expected to complete their course before commencing on the MBChB i.e. they may apply either after graduation OR during the final year of study.   

The School of Medicine may consider applications from those who are re-taking examinations prior to entering the University in Diagnostic Radiography, Cardiac Physiology and Audiology.  

For applications to Medicine and Surgery and the Gateway Year to Medicine, applicants re-sitting exams are only likely to be successful in exceptional circumstances. Well-supported documentary evidence of any extenuating circumstances is required and the timing must support impact to study during the examination period.

Applications will not normally be considered from those undertaking a third attempt at an academic entry qualification.  

Applicants must typically meet the conditions set by the University by 31 August of the application year unless otherwise stated in the prescribed course or professional body requirements, even if the offer is deferred for entry to the following application year.  

The School of Medicine may not be able to confirm a place in the upcoming academic cycle following an improved final grade after a re-mark, however applicants may be offered a deferred place or be asked to reapply.  

Applications from those who have not quite met the required grades may be reviewed and their places may be confirmed if there are places still available on their chosen course. However, where applicants are holding offers for deferred entry they may not be subject to the same level of flexibility.  

It should be noted that for the School of Medicine programmes an unconditional offer means that an applicant has met the academic and non-academic entry requirements but will still be required to meet the health and criminal record checks. If these conditions are not met prior to registration, proof that these checks will be fulfilled during term one can be used to confirm a place. This can be an appointment card or evidence of when forms were submitted.  

The School of Medicine will consider applications for deferred entry and encourages such applicants to make use of the personal statement section of the application form to explain their reasons for requesting a deferral. 

Applicants who wish to defer following the submission of their application are required to do so prior to the confirmation of a place.  

Values based recruitment forms an important part of our selection processes, so the School of Medicine reserves the right to reject any candidate who does not display the values, skills and attributes required by future healthcare professionals. 

Diagnostic Radiography, Cardiac Physiology and Audiology BSc

The personal statement of the application form is an important part of the selection process. It helps us to assess the nature of the applicant’s interest in their chosen health or social care profession and they may be assessed based on the strength of their statement relative to others in their cohort. 

It is used not only during shortlisting but is likely to be explored if the applicant is invited for interview. It is essential that applicants take this opportunity to demonstrate their enthusiasm and aptitude for the academic subject. We wish to hear about:  

• why have you chosen a particular profession and what led you to this? 
• what and how have you researched about it? 
• what specific experience of the profession do you have? 
• what is your knowledge and understanding of your chosen profession and their contribution to the wider team?  
• what are the current issues affecting your chosen profession?  
• how have your current studies prepared you for your chosen profession and studying at university?  
• what transferable skills do you have – for example, work experience, positions of responsibility through paid employment or school activities?  
• what caring experience do you have and how has this influenced you choice of profession?  

Medicine and Surgery and Gateway to Medicine MBChB

Although the personal statement is not formally scored, applicants are expected to demonstrate the motivation and enthusiasm to study. Applicants' reflections on the values and behaviours required to study medicine will be explored further in the interview.

When writing the personal statement it is important to consider that the MBChB is a course based on professional values and core themes with the aim of producing tomorrow’s doctors. We select on both academic and non-academic criteria. These are underpinned by Health Education England’s mandate for medical schools to select students with values and behaviours aligned with the NHS.

Further information on the non-academic attributes can be obtained from the Medical Schools Council core values and attributes to study medicine. It states that “medical schools in the UK aim to prepare students for practice in the NHS and therefore they are looking for students who have the potential to become good doctors.” 

All applicants who are successful in the initial stages of the selection process will be invited to interview. All interviews will take the form of the Multi Mini Interview (MMI).  

This enables us to further assess the applicant’s interest in the programme along with their non-academic attributes. It also allows us to provide detailed information about the programme in terms of content, delivery and expectations of staff and students.  

Some applicants may require adjustments at interview (for example, applicants with a disability or who are pregnant) to provide them with full and equal access to the process. The Admissions team is responsible for making reasonable adjustments where possible.

For further advice or information regarding disability related adjustments, email The University’s Disability Services team via disability@leeds.ac.uk. For advice on other adjustments, email the Equality and Inclusion Unit via equality@leeds.ac.uk.   

Where possible the School of Medicine will accommodate requests for alternative interview dates, however an alternative cannot be guaranteed.  

The School of Medicine scores all applications received based on the personal statement, academic scoring and admissions tests before the deadline to obtain a ranking which is used for shortlisting to interview. 

All applicants for the MBChB and Gateway to Medicine course are required to take the Bio-Medical Admissions Test (BMAT) in either September or November each year. The result from the first sitting only will be accepted. Applicants can take the test at their own school or college or at one of BMAT’s open centres worldwide.  

This is a two-hour written test which consists of three sections: Aptitude and Skills, Scientific Knowledge and Applications, Writing Task.  

Further details are available on the BMAT website. The scores will be considered alongside the rest of the application.

Please refer to the University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy for information on how decisions will be communicated by the University. 

The School of Medicine provides feedback to all unsuccessful applicants and does not respond to direct requests.   

We will not provide detailed feedback on personal statements or on individual stations or components of the multiple mini interview.  

Please read our Appeals and complaints procedure for details on what to do if you feel you have grounds for an appeal or a complaint.