From Access Course to Medical Degree
Edited 16/01/2026 at 13:05
No A-Levels but always wanted to study Medicine? I’ll be explaining what Access to Medicine (HE) courses are and why they’re a good alternate route into medicine.
The journey into medicine from disadvantaged backgrounds has been arduous, a polite way of saying needlessly long and suspiciously well-lubricated for people who already know the system. A study found that only 7% of students in the UK were privately educated, yet made up 28.5% of medicine and dentistry students in the UK. Only 4.1% of students were from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is not because the academic talent pool is rarer in low-income households, just that opportunity distribution has never been medicine’s strong suit.
The Medical Schools Council believes that an applicant’s chance of entering medical school should be dictated by factors such as academic ability, motivation and conscientiousness. As a result, medical schools are making a concerted effort to level the playing field for applicants who have come from a disadvantaged background. This term is referred to as widening participation and the aim is not to “lower standards” (a persistent myth) but to make some attempt to not ignore the fact not everyone started the race from the same place.
What is an Access to Medicine Diploma?
The Access to Medicine & Dentistry (HE) Diploma is a Level 3 UK qualification aimed to prepare students (usually 19+) to study medicine as an undergraduate. It is designed to prepare individuals from non-traditional or underrepresented backgrounds who did not obtain a Level 3 qualification, such as A-Levels. You can still apply to study an Access to Medicine course if you hold older A-Levels in non-science subjects.
Unfortunately, if you’ve completed science A-Levels within 3 years of applying to an access course but didn’t get the required grade for medicine, you will not be considered for the course.
Access to Medicine courses aren’t designed to be a fall-back to fast-track A-Levels to get onto a medical degree – it is an opportunity for those who have had time away from formal education or those whose A-Levels grades were impacted.
Who can apply?
If you are 19+ you can apply to join an access course however, it is mainly for mature learners. Whilst you can be 19-20 and technically able to apply to the Access to Medicine, it is likely that UK medical schools will not recognise this qualification if you have recently completed A-Levels, so please reach out to universities before studying an Access to Medicine course.
You may wish to apply if…
- You later realise you want to pursue medicine and don’t possess (STEM) A-Levels
- You were at a disadvantage during your examinations (bereavement, homelessness etc)
- You’re a refugee or migrant (you can also apply for an Access to Medicine course)
🎓 Graduates can apply too...
Not all graduates are eligible for (or wants) to apply for graduate-entry medicine. Therefore, graduates are also eligible to study an Access to Medicine course too.
Graduates who hold a science degree (e.g biomedical sciences or nursing) may be able to apply directly to all variations of medicine programmes without the need to complete an access course.
Graduates without a science background… will generally find their applications more favourably received following completion of an Access to Medicine Diploma. A minimum of a 2:1 degree is generally sufficient, though this should be confirmed, not presumed.
How much does it cost?
The cost varies depending on each course provider so it’s important to research yourself. On average, the cost of a single course is around £3,350.
If you’re 19-23 at the start of the course and haven’t completed a Level 3 qualification before, the course fee is waived. An Advanced Learner Loan can be used to cover the cost of the course if you’re >23 years old. If you successfully complete the Access Course AND your degree, then the Advanced Learner Loan is written off.
If you’re 19-24 at the start of the course and have an active Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP), any course up to and including Level 3 will be fully-funded by the government. This means you won’t have to pay course fees or pay essential equipment.
An important note...
You might incur additional costs through accommodation, travel, stationary and equipment so it’s important to be aware of this when applying. College of West Anglia is the only college, at present, to provide grants and bursaries to help cover the cost of expenses.
What is the course structure & content like?
Each access provider delivers the course slightly differently, which means you will need to research the one you plan to attend. Some colleges require up to 27 hours per week (e.g College of West Anglia) while others take a more minimalistic approach with only 14 weekly hours (e.g Bristol College).
In most cases, the course is full-time, 3-5 days per week across 1 year. If you were hoping the timetable ended when teaching does, you will be utterly disappointed. Self-directed study is assumed to happen in the background and will take up a considerable portion of your time outside of core hours.
Academically, the content is A-Level equivalent with one important mercy: you are taught only what is relevant to medicine. Topics of limited clinical utility (dare I say, plant biology) are removed, sparing students the burden of memorising the reproductive stages of moss.
Core teaching doesn’t differ too greatly between providers and you will almost certainly study Human Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Teaching may be supplemented with graded (or ungraded) study skills, epidemiology, research projects, study skills and communication workshops. Or to the collective dismay of my readers, you may discover mathematics is introduced into the curriculum (depending on the college e.g Eastleigh College).
Which universities accept the access course?
More universities accept the Access to Medicine course than you’d think, including Oxbridge and London universities – notorious for their low acceptance rate. Entry requirements are generally uncompromising and require you to achieve 45 Level 3 Credits at Distinction (A*) to gain entry into medical school.
- Oxford
- Cambridge
- Bristol (guaranteed interview for all access students)
- King’s College London
- UCL
- Edinburgh
- St George’s
- Southampton
- Liverpool
- Manchester
- Exeter
- Anglia Ruskin
- Brighton & Sussex (linked places for candidates applying from East Sussex College)
- Lancaster
- Leeds
- Kent Medway
- Hull York
- Newcastle
- University of East Anglia
- Aberdeen
Which colleges provide Access to Medicine courses?
Not all courses are accredited... don’t be caught out!
Before my readers start browsing creatively, it’s worth noting that medical schools only accept QAA-accredited access diplomas.
Online or distance-learning courses exist for good reasons and for some applicants may represent the only realistic option. However, face-to-face teaching delivery is consistently advised by medical schools as gold-standard. Realistically, you will only be able to complete one access course. Accordingly, it is sensible to choose the option that maximises the number of medical schools willing to take it seriously.
For ease of the reader, below is a list of courses compliant only with the QAA descriptor. Distance-learning and non-compliant programmes have been excluded.
* Colleges with the statistically highest successful admission into medicine rates
- College of West Anglia* (most widely accepted)
- City Bristol College*
- South Hampshire College Group (Eastleigh College)
- CTS Education
- East Sussex College Group*
- Egraduate College (Online)
- London South Bank Colleges
- The Sheffield College
- Capital City Colleges (City and Islington College)
- Gateshead College
- Morley College London
- Coleg Gwent
- Richmond upon Thames College
- Oaklands College
- York College
- Chichester College Group
- East Coast College
- UCEN Manchester*
- Nottingham College
- Harlow College
- Truro and Penwith College
- Bolton College
Do I need GCSE’s and UCAT?
You should aim to meet the GCSE requirements for the medical school you intend to apply to. But, anecdotally, some universities may waive requirements in lieu of other strong portions in your application (e.g King’s College London waived the GCSE that I definitely did not have but Bristol requested for me to resit it). Relying on exemptions is a poor plan and usually more sensible to resit GCSEs (if you have multiple) before starting the access course.
Private GCSE resits are expensive, with a single subject costing around ~£400. Some access providers allow candidates to resit one GCSE alongside the course at no additional cost, which is worth investigating before committing.
Medical schools look more favourably at candidates who have achieved grades...
Generally, you don’t need to sit the UCAT prior to applying to an access programme. That said, if you intend to enter medical school the same year as you complete an access course, it is worth considering sitting the UCAT prior to starting college in September to avoid monumental stress.
Other resources
- Find out if your college is QAA approved
- QAA Access to Higher Education Descriptor
- Insight into College of West Anglia’s Access to Medicine course
- Dr. Rebecca Bradford – How to Get Into Medicine As A Mature Student With No A-Levels
- Nurse Belinda – Access Course to Medicine with a Nursing Degree
- Balancing work while studying an Access Course
