Michael’s Journey: From Access Course to Medical Student
Michael (right) first year medical student at Leicester University
The beginning of Michael’s journey...
Hi, I’m Michael! I’m 31 years old, a UK Armed Forces Veteran and former Access to Medicine student. I saw completing the Access Course the best vehicle/opportunity to get myself into medical school. I left school around the age of 15 and had never studied an academic qualification at L3 or above. I was a new father, in my early thirties and I would’ve had to work throughout the duration of my study. I felt this gave me the best opportunity compared to privately undertaking qualifications such as A-Levels. Furthermore, it was a course designed for its purpose and it would get me to where I wanted to be, with the fundamental skills I’d require as a medical student.
🔎 Applying to CWAs Access to Medicine Course
Did you look at other Access Courses before applying to CWA?
Yes, I applied to study and was successful on securing a place to study on a few different courses. The Scottish Wider Access to Medical Studies (SWAPMeds); Glasgow Clyde College; The University of Cambridge “Institute of Continued Education (ICE): Certificate of Higher Education in Pre-Medical Studies”. I also applied to other colleges that offered the same QAA: Access to HE Diploma as CWA.
What made you choose CWA?
A number of factors came into my decision to study at CWA, the foremost was its long-standing reputation and success with university admissions. It was stated at the time to be 80% success for individuals gaining offers for their desired undergraduate course and the remaining securing offers into other allied courses, over a 30 year history of providing this education pathway.
The cost of the course wouldn’t need to be funded privately and could be covered by the govt’s Advanced Learner Loan (ALL). On a personal level, the CWA campus within a commutable distance to where my family and I had relocated to the previous November.
How was the process of applying to the Access Course?
Once I had shortlisted a couple of courses and colleges, the process of applying was relatively straightforward and mirrored the UCAS applications process to some extent (albeit on a much smaller scale). I applied for the course when applications opened in October 2022 and attended an open day at the CWA mid November. I then had an in-person interview and information session on campus in late January 2023, all to begin the Access Course in September 2023.
There was an interview but it was fairly relaxed and informal. We had already been invited on the basis of our grades and a short personal statement they requested through the admission portal, they wanted to just check if we were who we described in our statements and had a realistic understanding of what the course would entail, what the progression on medical or dental school would look like and that we would meet the additional entry requirements.
I received my offer around 3 weeks after the interview/information session.
🩺 During CWAs Access to Medicine Course
Did CWA prepare you well for medical school interviews? Did you receive offers during the course itself?
Absolutely, the course director was a very experienced teacher and tutor whom supported us with our physical applications, in terms of personal statement drafting/reviewing and also references. The pastoral support from our other tutors around this stressful time was second-to-none.
I was very fortunate, give that it was the first year I was applying to university. I received offers to study Medicine at the University of Leicester and University of Bristol.
Did you cope with the access course with family, work and other commitments?
Only just, I was very grateful for a fantastic partner and support network, otherwise I would not have been able to achieve what I had given my personal circumstance. Although on occasion, working whilst studying full time meant that I was putting in 80- 90 hour weeks (worst case and thankfully quite rarely), this allowed me to rebalance and take time off close to make-or-break exams. A number of my course-mates that had relocated to Kings-Lynn were able to undertake bar work or similar on some weekends. Although each persons capacity and need to work is different and individual experiences may vary.
It was impressed upon us that and it was my shared philosophy that study and coursework was the absolute priority, no allowances would have been made for late course work or non-attendance.
The bottom line for me was “work allowed me to live, pay my bills and facilitate my studies”.
What was your favourite part about CWA?
Alongside our studies we had Professional development and study skills sessions timetabled in. These sessions were based around medical ethical framework, healthcare legislation, professional behaviour and conduct. In these sessions we would assess the concepts and theory that underpin these topics. This could be through the lens of our tutors experience as teaching professionals in terms of safeguarding, working with under 18s and vulnerable people.
We were fortunate to have clinical skills and enrichment sessions at the colleges school of nursing and clinical studies, a very well resourced department, which in my opinion was better than some of the synthetic training suites that a couple of medical schools that I had visited!In these sessions we conducted mock interviews, panel debates, specific clinical skills and medical examinations.
We even had mock coroners inquest, based on a real case which had been adapted.
Between these departments we had former access students giving their perspectives and presentations from current medical students and allied healthcare professionals.
Raison d’être of these sessions was not only to prepare us for medicine interviews, but to give us the skills to thrive at medical school.
💭 Retrospective thoughts & future advice
What could’ve been done better?
The only serious issues we faced during our time were primarily through external factors out of our control (college management and teacher staffing crisis) otherwise I would struggle to find room for improvement. Maybe measurable objectives for each professional behaviours and study skills sessions (or group of sequential sessions) but the ball is definitely in the students court, to engage with and help direct their learning outcomes for these modules.
Would you recommend CWA to anyone else?
For adult learners, who have had a considerable time out of education, well established access courses, where the tutors have the relevant experience and qualifications (ie- degree in the subject taught, PGCE/ QTS, with a good amount of teaching experience) are an excellent alternative to traditional and universal qualifications.
I feel that other qualifications could be isolating as a private candidate; access courses tend to have a community feel, as although you may come from varied backgrounds or experiences you and your classmates have similar values and goals.
What do you wish you knew about the course before starting?
Mainly how intense the course would be whilst applying in the same year..
My personal advice is always to be proactive and practical, resit any L2 qualifications (eg. GCSE’s) you may require for university admissions during easter to give yourself enough time to prepare for, then sit your UCAT before you start at college
In our first 6 weeks: I was revising for and resting my maths GCSE (which where 3x 1.5 hour papers), sitting my UCAT, finalising my medicine personal statement and UCAS application for the mid-October deadline and sitting my first chemistry and biology exams at college, the first academic L3 exams I had ever sat…
Be prepared to work and engage with your tutors, but try not to overwhelm yourself before you start the course or between modules, you will be given every opportunity to preform exceptionally in your written work and exams.
