MBBS Medicine with a Gateway Year

Key details

MBBS MEDICINE WITH A GATEWAY YEAR

Start Year

2022

Attendance

Full Time

Award

Degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery

UCAS course code

A104

Entry Requirements

BBB

Duration (years)

Walk out into the world as a highly competent, empathic and confident doctor, with a course that gives you hands-on experience and rigorous training in modern practices from the very start.

Medicine at UEA is supportive and inclusive. We want everyone who has the passion and potential to succeed to have the chance to study here. Our MB BS Medicine with a Gateway Year is our widening access to medicine route and may be the perfect first step to a successful career in medicine. We’re more interested in your potential to succeed, so as well as looking at your results, we’ll look at the school you studied at, your family income, your area of residence, and whether you live in the East Anglian region.

About

The Gateway Year of this course will equip you with the academic skills and knowledge you will need to progress onto our five-year MB BS Medicine course. Complete it successfully and you’ll be well on your way to your career as a qualified doctor.

At Norwich Medical School, we put patients at the heart of everything we do. With a curriculum approved by the General Medical Council (GMC) and developed in accordance with their standards, our MB BS degree in Medicine will see you embarking on placements almost immediately, so you’ll gain early exposure to the clinical skills essential to addressing the complex needs of patients in the 21st century. And you’ll graduate as a professional, ready to use your skills and knowledge in your chosen field to improve the health of patients in your care.

Our rigorous training ensures we develop doctors who are knowledgeable scholars and scientists. And we pride ourselves on providing the highest possible quality of learning, in a supportive, nurturing and student-centred environment where you can reach your potential.

Highlights of Medicine at UEA

Learning with and from real patients, from the first month of your course
Exploring anatomy linked to clinical practice in our anatomy facility, including dissection
Access to a varied range of clinical placements on acute hospital wards, specialist units and in general practice
Linking theory with practice across the course, including during small-group teaching sessions and within primary care placements
Developing your clinical skills with access to the world-class and architecture-award winning Bob Champion Research and Education Building, with its state-of-the-art facilities and purpose-built clinical resource centre
Developing the art of communication through our excellent consultation skills programme, supported by dedicated tutors and role-players
A team of respected, highly experienced teaching and research academics, who’ll support your learning in our friendly, student-centred School
Strong networks for student support, including a dedicated and experienced team of senior advisers

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.

Assessment for Year 1

We’ll assess your progress on a regular basis throughout the course, to support your learning and development, and to keep you on track to become a qualified medical practitioner.

In your Gateway Year you will encounter practical write-ups of laboratory experiments, as well as presentations to your fellow students. In your introduction to Clinical Medicine module you’ll be assessed through reflective writing (portfolio). End of module examinations will also be used in both ‘short answer’ and ‘single best answer’ and ‘script concordance’ formats.

In order to progress on to the MBBS programme, students need to achieve an average mark of >70% for all modules they study as part of the Gateway Year programme.

From Year 1 the MB BS is a pass all components course, this means that in order to progress into the next year of study, you must pass all summative assessments in the current year of study.

Structure

What to expect in your Gateway Year

During your Gateway Year you will join a small cohort of students and work together to gain the academic skills and knowledge you need to progress smoothly onto our five-year medical degree – we work hard to make sure that you feel like a medical student from day one. As well as focusing on the medical science and study skills, you will start developing your identity as a medical student with dedicated modules delivered by Norwich Medical School.

The Medicine with a Gateway Year programme is mapped to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and encourages students to be curious and invested in the world around them. However, it also offers opportunities for clinical shadowing and clinical experiences with local health care providers including the NHS.

What to expect after the Gateway Year

Upon successful completion of the Gateway Year, you will continue your medical studies on the five-year MBBS Medicine degree programme, which is organised into modules based on body systems. We aim to produce fully rounded medical graduates, so you’ll study the underpinning biological, social and clinical sciences of medicine, and then put theory into practice while on placements in hospitals and general practices.

Our MB BS degree is organised into modules based on body systems. We aim to produce fully rounded medical graduates, so you’ll study the underpinning biological, social and clinical sciences of medicine, and then put theory into practice while on placements in hospitals and general practices.

Working in small groups, you’ll use problem-based learning (PBL) techniques to apply your learning to virtual scenarios and will be complimented each week with teaching in primary care, where you will meet patients that can bring these scenarios to life. And you’ll undertake dissections on specimens and models to truly understand the structure and function of the human body. This is a practical, hands-on way to hone your knowledge and approach to medicine, allowing you to develop the relevant practical and communication skills in both simulated and real healthcare environments.

Your learning will be supported by a weekly programme of lectures and seminars, and complemented by attachments in secondary care hospitals, some of which may be residential.

Teaching and Learning

While studying on the Medicine with a Gateway year programme, you will encounter a wide range of teaching methods to support your learning throughout the six years and to ensure you graduate with the essential skills required to become a competent doctor. These include:

Keynote lectures, seminars and, delivered by expert academics and clinical educators
Laboratory classes, delivered by expert academics and associate tutors
Small group working using PBL techniques and extending into general practice-based teaching
Consultation skills tutorials with tutors and actors to cultivate excellent communication skills
Clinical skills training, including practical skills and simulated scenarios to ensure you are well prepared for practice when you graduate
Clinical placement opportunities allowing you to integrate theory with practice
Developing professionalism – you’ll be given guidance throughout your primary and secondary care placements, to help you develop the values and behaviours that will enable you to become a safe, respected and trustworthy doctor

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Assessment for Year 2

A wide range of formative assessments run throughout the first year. These include a written exam, practical Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), presentations through Student Selected Component, Medical Research exam, written Reflective Portfolios as well as Cased Based Discussions collected whilst in primary and secondary care. Feedback will be provided in written and oral form to guide your learning and development. In line with GMC requirements, all students must engage with formative assessment.

In order to progress into year 2, you will need to pass 2 summative assessments at the end of year. These are written examinations and a practical OSCE. These summative exams will assess all your knowledge and skills developed throughout year 1. You must also pass the ‘Fitness to Practise’ module, which confirms your professional standing across the year.

Structure

The core module for your first year is ‘Foundations of Medicine and the Musculoskeletal System’. This will provide you with an introduction to clinical and social sciences which underpin all elements of medicine. This will be studied alongside the Fundamentals of the Musculoskeletal System, focusing on the clinical specialties of orthopaedics and rheumatology. Integrated throughout year 1 are both primary and secondary care placements where you will develop diagnostic and clinical skills under the close supervision of clinicians.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching:

Year 1 is structured into blocks of campus week teaching and secondary care placements. During campus weeks, you will follow a series of lectures and seminars to support your underpinning knowledge and direct your learning, alongside anatomy and consultation skills training. Problem Based Learning (PBL) is an important element of each week, where, as a group of 10 students, you will explore hypothetical clinical scenarios that relates to the clinical theme of the week. You will spend 3 hours a week completing PBL. You will also spend 1 day a week in primary care placement.

Up to 9 weeks of year 1 is spend in secondary care placement, which are completed in our NHS Partner Trusts. You will work closely with experienced clinicians in order to develop clinical skills as well as attend wards, clinics and theatres.

Independent learning:

Integrated within PBL, you will spend time each week researching and writing up learning outcomes relevant to the clinical cases being discussed. You will also undertake independent study as part of your Student Selected Studies. Alongside this work, you will also spend time each week reviewing the content of lectures to secure your underpinning clinical knowledge.

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Assessment for Year 3

During years 2, 3 & 4 you will have a range of formative and summative assessment that includes coursework for your Student Selected Component and Medical Research and you will be introduced to Audit in year 4. For the Elective placement in Year 4, you will be required to submit a risk assessment and elective proposal. You will undertake workplace-based assessments to underpin your clinical learning and maintain a reflective portfolio. In year 4 you will also be provided with a formative opportunity to sit the Prescribing Safety Assessment and the Situational Judgement Test in preparation for these external assessments in Year 5.

Feedback will be provided in written and oral form to guide your learning and development. In line with GMC requirements, all students must engage with formative assessment.

In order to progress into the next year of study, you will need to pass all summative assessments. In addition to summative coursework, there are practical OSCEs that will be completed after the first two modules and then after the third and fourth modules. This will enable you to consolidate your learning during the year. At the end of the year, you will also complete an end of year OSCE and written paper examinations.. These end of year exams will assess all your knowledge and skills developed throughout all years of study that you will have completed at that point. You must also pass the ‘Fitness to Practise’ module, which confirms your professional standing across the year.

Structure

Year 2 & 3 each have 4 core modules that focus on the major organ systems in the body and their associated clinical specialties.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching:

Year 2 & 3 are structured into blocks of campus based teaching and secondary care placements. Each of the four modules will include 5 weeks of campus-based teaching that includes a weekly placement in primary care, and 3 weeks of placement in secondary care.

During the campus weeks your Problem Based Learning (PBL) will set the theme for each week. You will be part of a small group of up to 10 students, facilitated by a tutor, that will explore during a 3-hour session a hypothetical clinical scenario. This will be reflected in the primary care teaching each week and bought to life through contact with real patients. You will also develop your clinical skills though consultation skills training that you can then hone when you meet patients.

During campus weeks, you will follow a series of lectures and seminars to support your underpinning knowledge and direct your learning, alongside anatomy dissection and learning about medical research.

You will spend a total of 12 weeks in both year 2 and year 3 in secondary care placements, which are completed in our NHS Partner Trusts. You will work closely with experienced clinicians in order to develop your clinical skills as well as attend wards, clinics and theatres.

Independent learning:

Integrated within PBL, you will spend time each week researching and writing up learning outcomes relevant to the clinical cases being discussed. You will also undertake independent study as part of your Student Selected Component. Alongside this work, you will also spend time each week reviewing the content of lectures to secure your underpinning clinical knowledge.

In year 2, you will also have the option to participate in our Medical Humanities programme, which offers a wide range of choices such as language studies and British sign language, life drawing, philosophy, and medicine and the arts.

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Assessment for Year 4

Feedback will be provided in written and oral form to guide your learning and development. In line with GMC requirements, all students must engage with formative assessment.

Structure

Year 2 & 3 each have 4 core modules that focus on the major organ systems in the body and their associated clinical specialties.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching:

Independent learning:

Integrated within PBL, you will spend time each week researching and writing up learning outcomes relevant to the clinical cases being discussed. You will also undertake independent study as part of your Student Selected Component. Alongside this work, you will also spend time each week reviewing the content of lectures to secure your underpinning clinical knowledge.

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Assessment for Year 5

Feedback will be provided in written and oral form to guide your learning and development. In line with GMC requirements, all students must engage with formative assessment.

Structure

Year 4 has four core modules that will continue to extend your breadth of knowledge, skills and experience a range of clinical specialties, with a great focus on clinical placement. Year 4 also includes an external elective undertaken during the summer.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching:

In Year 4 there is a greater focus on clinical placement. All four modules are 8 weeks long. Three modules (4A, 4B & 4C) are structured into blocks of 4 weeks campus-based teaching that includes a weekly placement in Primary Care, and 4 weeks secondary care placements.

Module 4D is centered around a 6-week placement in Primary Care and students will rotate through placement experience in Palliative Care, Oncology and Older People’s Medicine. There will be 1-week of campus-based teaching to introduce this module and 1-week of campus-based teaching to consolidate learning at the end of the module.

You will spend a total of 12 weeks in Module 4A, 4B & 4C in Secondary Care placements, which are completed in our NHS Partner Trusts. You will work closely with experienced clinicians in order to develop your clinical skills as well as attend wards, clinics and theatres.
In module 4D you will have a 6-week block of clinical placement during which you will spend 4 weeks based in a Primary Care practice and over a 2-week period you will rotate through palliative care, Oncology and Older People’s Medicine. These placements will be based in secondary care and local hospices.

Independent learning:

Integrated within PBL, you will spend time each week researching and writing up learning outcomes relevant to the clinical cases being discussed. You will also undertake independent study as part of your Student Selected Component. Alongside this work, you will also spend time each week reviewing the content of lectures to secure your underpinning clinical knowledge.

You will also have the option to undertake an integrated programme of study to develop your teaching skills as a clinical educator.

The external Elective (Module 4E) provides an additional and more autonomous opportunity for students to undertake a 4-week placement that fits with their own interests and professional development; to do something different; and to take responsibility for the planning and delivery of this experience. It can be undertaken anywhere in the world, subject to a risk assessment that students will be supported to undertake.

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Assessment for Year 6

During Year 5, you will undertake formative and summative workplace based assessment that includes practical procedures, case based discussions and observed clinical examination and skills. You will need to have demonstrated satisfactory attendance and engagement with the three modules in year 5, which will be assessed through tutor reports. You will also have a formative portfolio review to support you in looking ahead to your future career. You will be required to be successful in both summative Written and Clinical OSCE assessments, as well as the fitness to practice module. On completion of all these elements you will be put forward fror graduation in Medicine.

There are two external assessments during year 5 that you will be supported to undertake; the Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA) and the Situational Judgment Test (SJT). These respectively prepare you for your future career as a doctor and form part of the application process for your first post.

Structure

Year 5 is focussed on preparing you for clinical practice as a new graduate. There are 3 core modules during year 5, and the majority of time is spent on placement.

Teaching and Learning

In year 5 the focus is on preparing you for clinical practice as a new graduate. Modules 5A and 5B are each 10-weeks long and are mainly based in secondary care placement. PBL is undertaken during Module 5A and there are some core seminars and lectures to support your learning during these modules and help you prepare for your final examinations and your application to Foundation Programme training.

Module 5A

Module 5A is an opportunity for you to apply skills and knowledge developed over the previous 4 years and build upon them in an emergency setting. During placement you will get to experience a variety of environments where emergency medicine is used. From primary care and the A&E department to the intensive care unit and theatres, you will have opportunities to learn from a variety of specialists. The Module will equip you to manage patients who are seriously ill, and to recognize who and when to seek help from. It will enable you to perform practical procedures and gain other skills that are relevant to the role of a foundation doctor.

Module 5B

This is your opportunity to “learn on the job” the Foundation Year 1 (FY1)/ Foundation Year 2 (FY2) role. The Module is ten weeks in total split into blocks in surgery and medicine and you will be attached to an FY1/FY2 and their team. You will be an integral member of that team, helping with all the duties of a Foundation Year doctor and you will be supervised by a Consultant. The medicine and surgery attachments are in most specialties, and requests for certain specialties can be made.

You will have the opportunity to undertake courses in ALERT (Acute Life Threatening Event, Recognition and Treatment) and ALS (Advanced Life Support).

Module 5C

Module 5C has been developed to give students the opportunity to explore or further develop an aspect of their future medical career. This will support you to succeed during your FY1 post or when applying for specialty training. It is six weeks long and will predominantly consist of clinical experience.

This module will normally be undertaken based in the UK and takes place after students have sat their finals exams.

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YEAR 0

Compulsory Modules

INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY

Code BIO-3002A (Credits 20)

The topics covered on the module will give you a basic grounding in biological processes including the fundamental characteristics of living things; basic metabolic processes; an understanding of evolution and knowledge of the levels of biological organisation with some focus given to organ systems. This module also gives you the opportunity to develop key transferable skills which may include lab skills, report writing, assignment preparation, researching and evaluating evidence, giving and responding to presentations.

INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF HEALTH

Code MEDA3009A (Credits 20)

The module looks at different aspects of psychosocial health. This means considering individual factors that may contribute to health and illness and how these may interact with the social environment around us to inform how we experience health, wellbeing and illness and how we may respond to diagnoses and treatments. Individual factors may include perceptions, thoughts, feelings, coping strategies and past experience. Specific topic areas will include the Biopsychosocial model, Coping, Social Prescribing, Health Psychology Models, Psychological interventions for psychological impacts of physical illness, Addiction, Individual Issues Affecting Health and Developmental psychology across the lifespan. Medical research and Ethics will be embedded within the module.

FURTHER BIOLOGY

Code BIO-3001B (Credits 20)

The topics covered will give you a basic grounding in biological processes including the fundamental characteristics of living things; basic metabolic processes; an understanding of evolution and knowledge of the levels of biological organisation with some focus given to organ systems. This module also gives you the opportunity to develop key transferable skills such as lab skills, report writing, assignment preparation, researching and evaluating evidence, giving and responding to presentations.

INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL MEDICINE

Code MEDB3010B (Credits 20)

This module is one of the key introductory module in the Medicine with a Gateway programme, specifically designed to introduce our A104 students studying at the Norwich Medical School. This module will introduce our Foundation Year students to aspects of Clinical Skills and professional practice that are applicable to medicine. The course intends to give you an opportunity to interact with patients and to learn important clinical skills. It is also designed to provide a context for your theoretical learning so that you can see how your learning about medical and social sciences applies to the care of patients. Time spent in clinical placements will also help you to understand how to take a holistic approach to health care and to build your understanding of the skills need to be professional in your role as a medical student. As is the nature of clinical placements, and especially at this current time the exact learning experiences of each student may not be identical to their peers. However, all students will receive the same broad opportunities to allow them to achieve the learning outcomes of the module, and it is expected that students will take responsibility for making the most of the opportunities provided.

INTRODUCTION TO ISSUES IN HEALTHCARE

Code MED-3002Y (Credits 40)

This module is part of a 1-year MB BS Gateway course designed to prepare students to join our MB BS 5-year course. The module takes place over the whole year and introduces the students to a range of health related issues that will be more fully explored in the 5-year MB BS course. The module uses a problem based learning approach (Norwich Medical School’s learning method) to explore a new clinical case scenario (e.g. diabetes, asthma, obesity) each week. Students explore these case scenarios in groups of 9-10 students. Importantly, students will learn how to work effectively within a team and develop communication skills. The course will also allow students to develop a broad and balanced foundation of scientific knowledge related to the practice of medicine but you will discover that there is a lot more to Medicine than just the science and you will gain an appreciation of the importance of behavioural and population sciences in healthcare. Students will develop a range of transferable skills but particularly those learning and study skills needed for successful completion of the MBBS programme. Clinical aspects There is no practical clinical aspect to this module, but this module will give you a taster of what being a doctor is all about.

FITNESS TO PRACTICE - YEAR 0

Code MED-3001Y (Credits 0)

All MB BS Gateway students must be confirmed as 'Fit to Practise' by the end of year meeting of the School’s Professionalism Committee. Progression to Year 1 of the MB BS course can only occur once the Professionalism Committee has confirmed a student as being Fit to Practise. If the Professionalism Committee does not believe that a student is Fit to Practise, it will inform the Foundation Year Examination Board and recommend relevant remediation. Further details of Professionalism / Fitness to Practise are available within the 'Professionalism and Fitness to Practise (FtP)' section of the MB BS General Information Blackboard site.

For further years' module information please check out our MBBS Medicine.

Important Information:

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring and review of modules. Where this activity leads to significant change to a programme and modules, the University will endeavour to consult with affected students. The University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. Availability of optional modules may be restricted owing to timetabling, lack of demand, or limited places. Where this is the case, you will be asked to make alternative module choices and you will be supported during this process.

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Entry Requirements

A Levels

BBB or ABC in any subjects, excluding General Studies and Critical Thinking. All science A levels must include a pass in the practical element.

T Levels

No acceptable pathways for 2022 entry

BTEC

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (QCF): DDM in any subject, excluding BTEC Public Services, BTEC Uniformed Services and BTEC Business Administration.

Access course

Not accepted

International Baccalaureate

32 overall including 3 subjects at Higher level 5 in any subject

GCSE offer

Six GCSEs at grade B/6 or above, including English Language, Mathematics and either a single science subject (Biology, Chemistry or Physics) or double science. Applicants who do not meet the GCSE requirement MUST be resitting GCSE’s and predicted to achieve the required grade. This should be evident from their UCAS application.

International Baccalaureate (UK based only): IB Middle Years (in lieu of GCSEs) with 6 passes at 6 including English Language, Mathematics and two science subjects.

GCSE short courses, BTEC Level 2, OCR Level 2, Functional Skills not accepted.

GCSE resits are considered. Applicants who do not meet the GCSE requirement MUST be resitting GCSE’s and predicted to achieve the required grade. This should be evident from their UCAS application.

Additional entry requirements

This course is a ‘Widening Access’ programme for students who are in the 13th year of education or left school no more than three years prior to the course start date. Applicants must have completed their GCSE and Level 3 qualifications in the UK. It is designed for students whose circumstances or educational opportunities have prevented them from realising their academic potential.

All applicants must meet the academic criteria and the following contextual criteria: 

Your secondary school (GCSE education) achieved an Attainment 8 score of 50 or less, in the year you sat your GCSEs according to the Department for Education data (www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/) NOTE: The Government will not be publishing performance data for 2020 due to the pandemic therefore, we will use the Attainment 8 score in 2019 for students who achieved GCSE’s in 2020 AND one of the following: 

You live in an area with low progression to higher education with Polar Data 1 or 2 from Polar 4. 
In receipt of the UCAT Bursary. 
Your combined household income is under £35,000 per year, excluding Government benefits. We use the same criteria as the UCAT Bursary eligibility. We are unable to accept payslips or P60’s. 
You currently live locally to UEA (Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex or Lincolnshire).  Evidence taken from UCAS application.

 OR meet the academic criteria and ONE of the following contextual criteria: 

Successfully complete the UEA Preparing for Medicine Programme 
You have been in Local Authority care. Examples of evidence accepted: Letter from Social Worker/Local Council.

Further information

Applicants must meet both GCSE and A Level requirement.

GCSE resits are considered.

A Level Resits are not considered.

Not accepted: General Studies, Critical Thinking, Citizenship Studies, GCSE short courses, BTEC Level 2, OCR Level 2, Functional Skills.

Applicants who have started or completed study post A level (degree study or equivalent) will not be considered.

Applicants predicted to meet the MB BS Medicine (A100) academic requirements are unlikely to benefit from this course and should apply directly to A100.

Applicants who meet the minimum academic requirements and are attending the UEA Medical Aspirations Programme will be guaranteed an interview.

Autumn Exam Series 2021

Applicants who received Teacher Assessed Grades in Summer 2021 and are sitting the Autumn Exam Series may apply through UCAS for September 2022 entry. They will be subject to the usual admission process including the UCAT Test and an interview would be required.

University Clinical Aptitude Test

How do you use the UCAT?

ALL applicants are required to take the UCAT in the year of application, prior to applying. UEA does not have a cut off score. A high score is advantageous; a low score does not disqualify an applicant from consideration. Further information is available at www.ucat.ac.uk.

The overall score is used to rank the applicants for selection for interview.

The overall score is used alongside the interview score to rank and select applicants to whom an offer is made.

The SJT component score is included within the interview score.

Programme Conditions

Offers to successful applicants will be subject to a successful interview, a satisfactory occupational health check, including evidence of appropriate immunisations. As this course includes patient facing placements in a health or social care settings and these are a mandatory component of the course, you will need to comply with the placement vaccination policy. Failure to meet the placement vaccination policy may prevent you from joining the course or may lead to your withdrawal from the course in the future. Future employment may also be subject to this condition.

Applicants will also be required to have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and as part of the selection process, all applicants who accept an offer of a place at Norwich Medical School are checked against the Medical Schools Council (MSC) excluded student database. Details of these requirements will be provided if they are successful in receiving an offer.

Essential Information for All Applicants

Further information regarding requirements for medical students in relation to blood born infectious diseases, and information on Medical Students Fitness Standards is available. Any offer holder with a current or past history of health conditions (physical or mental health) should tell occupational health about any health conditions they have, and may be subject to an early occupational health check, for the following reasons:

Medical schools have a duty to support their students, but students have to help the school to do this by being open and honest about their health.

Being open and trustworthy is an important part of being a doctor – patients and the GMC expect this of practising doctors. Failure by a doctor on the medical register to disclose a health matter that could potentially impact on patient safety is a breach of this duty.

A student should understand that their ill health could put their ability to study at risk. Where a student has this understanding – and shows this by getting help and support – their health condition rarely prevents them from completing the course. One way to demonstrate understanding from the start is for a student to declare whether they will need additional support when they begin their course.

Norwich Medical School will consider all requests for adjustments in line with the UK Equality Act 2010. Any student can graduate as long as: they are well enough to complete the course; they have no student fitness to practice concerns (having a health condition or disability alone is not a fitness to practice concern); they have met all the Outcomes for graduates, with adjustments to the mode of assessment as needed.

Further guidance and advice specific to undergraduate medicine courses, including clinical exams, can be obtained via med.senioradviser@uea.ac.uk . Further information regarding accessibility, written exam concessions and confidential advice and guidance on health and disability can be obtained via: https://portal.uea.ac.uk/student-support-service.

Placements

Where a course includes patient facing placements in health or social care settings, and these are a mandatory component of the course, you will need to comply with the placement vaccination policy. Failure to meet the placement vaccination policy may prevent you from joining the course or may lead to your withdrawal from the course in the future. Future employment may also be subject to this condition.

After the Course

Postgraduate Foundation training and beyond

Important note

Once enrolled onto your course at UEA, your progression and continuation (which may include your eligibility for study abroad, overseas experience, placement or year in industry opportunities) is contingent on meeting the assessment requirements which are relevant to the course on which you are enrolled.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How will you process my application?

Briefly, all on-time applications proceed to primary screening, where checks are made to see that applicants meet, or are predicted to meet, our minimum academic entry criteria, have a satisfactory personal statement and reference and have taken the UCAT test in the summer prior to submitting the application. Applicants are then invited to interview (from late November/December onwards).

If the number of applications received exceed the number of interview places available those meeting primary screening requirements will also undergo secondary screening, where the UCAT scores will be ranked against the applicant cohort, with the strongest applicants invited to interview.

Following the completion of interviews, interviewed applicants are ranked (by interview score – which includes the UCAT SJT subsection score - and UCAT overall scores) within the applicant cohort. The top ranking applicants will receive offers.

What if there is a mistake on my application?

Following the closing date, any errors or omissions should be notified to the Admissions Service immediately for consideration, and verified by an official letter from your school. However, if notification is made after 15 October, we reserve the right not to consider the application further.

What if my predicted grades change?

Your application will be processed using the information provided on your UCAS form. Any changes in predicted grades will not be considered once processing has commenced following the UCAS deadline.

Can I send in additional supporting documents?

Only information submitted on the UCAS form will be considered, unless supplementary information is requested by the Admissions Team. Factual errors on the form should be notified to the Admissions Service as soon as possible but additional information provided or errors highlighted after submission of the UCAS form cannot be considered. Please note that we are unable to accept any unsolicited additional references or CVs.

How do I report extenuating circumstances?

These should be indicated on the UCAS application. Supporting evidence may be requested. Please note: adverse events potentially impacting on performance at A level (or equivalent) or degree classification, should be notified to the relevant examination board. 

Should I gain some voluntary or paid experience in the Healthcare professions?

If possible, but this is not a specific requirement. However, it is important that, prior to committing to 6 years intensive study, that you find out as much as you can about being a doctor. Any experience that gives you an insight into your suitability to the profession is valuable. Such experience may include work experience in a health care organisation (e.g. a hospital, hospice, or primary care setting), a regular commitment as a volunteer in a care-related setting, or paid employment as a health care assistant or similar. Please see current guidance from the Medical School Council regarding work experience during a pandemic. This list is not exhaustive, but at interview, you will be expected to draw on your personal experiences to demonstrate your suitability to be a doctor. If invited to interview, you are required to bring with you our work experience form.

If I am unsuccessful, can I reapply?

Applicants to Medicine at UEA will only be considered for two consecutive years. All applicants must have achieved successful academic study within the past 3 years. Please note that entry requirements may change each year and we would advise you to check our website before submitting an application. You will be required to retake the UCAT test as this is only valid in the year of application.

Interviews

We hope to be able to offer interviews on campus subject to following the latest Government guidance.

Please note that we do not disclose interview questions.

Typically, we look for applicants to demonstrate at interview;

An acceptable approach to decision making when given incomplete or conflicting information
The ability to learn and work effectively in partnership
A caring and supportive attitude
An empathetic and caring approach

Insight into Medicine as a career and personal suitability for the profession
Honesty, integrity, and personal effectiveness.

We will individually email invitations to applicants who are selected for interview. Interview arrangements are still being finalised and we will update our website in due course. Interviews usually take place between November 2021 and February 2022.

Work Experience

If you are invited to interview you are required to provide two examples of work experience which have informed your decision to study Medicine. We understand that it might be difficult to gain experience in a pandemic but the first thing to remember is that all applicants to medicine will be in the same situation. The second thing to remember is that clinical work experience is not generally a requirement for applying to medical school in any year. We are aware that the opportunities open to you have been affected and will take this into account when considering applications for cohorts that have been impacted.

The Medical Schools Council has published some very useful guidance for gaining relevant experience during the pandemic and we will follow their guidance.

Gap year

We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year, believing that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry on your UCAS application.

Intakes

This course is open to UK applicants. The annual intake is in September each year.  We have 40 places for 2022 entry.

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MBBS MEDICINE WITH A GATEWAY YEAR