Norwich Medical School

MBBS MEDICINE WITH A GATEWAY YEAR

Key details 

MBBS MEDICINE WITH A GATEWAY YEAR

Start Year
2023
Attendance
Full Time
UCAS course code
A104
Entry Requirements
BBB or ABC
Duration (years)
6

Gateway Year Course Modules

Compulsory Modules (120 credits)

BIO-3002A  (20 Credits)

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.

MEDA3009A  (20 Credits)

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.

BIO-3001B  (20 Credits)

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.

MEDB3010B  (20 Credits)

This module is specifically designed to introduce aspects of clinical skills and professional practice that are applicable to medicine. It is intended to give an opportunity to interact with patients and to learn important clinical skills. It is also designed to provide a context for theoretical learning so that the learning about medical and social sciences can be applied to the care of patients, and the practice of medicine in 21st Century UK. Time spent in clinical situations will help understanding of how to take a holistic approach to health care and to build understanding of the skills, knowledge and experiences required to be professional 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.

MED-3002Y  (20 Credits)

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.

MED-3001Y  (20 Credits)

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 Notice

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. 

What to expect in your Gateway Year 

You will join a small cohort of like-minded students and work together to gain the academic knowledge and study skills you need to progress smoothly onto our five-year medical degree – we work hard to ensure you feel like a medical student from day one as you start developing your identity through dedicated modules delivered by Norwich Medical School. It also offers opportunities for clinical shadowing and clinical experiences with local health care providers including the NHS. 

The Medicine with a Gateway Year programme also maps to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. it encourages students to be curious and invest in the world around them and be agents for positive change.  

What to expect after the Gateway Year 

Upon successful completion of the Gateway Year, you’ll continue your medical studies on the five-year MB BS 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. 

You will continue to work in small groups,  using problem-based learning (PBL) techniques to apply your learning to virtual scenarios. In parallel, you will receive teaching in primary care, meeting the patients that can bring these scenarios to life.  You will have opportunities for practical, hands-on opportunities to hone your knowledge and practical skills through dissections 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. 

For information on subsequent years of study, please see the full MB BS Medicine course profile

While studying on the Medicine with a Gateway Year programme, you’ll 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, and seminars, 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 

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’ll 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. 

 

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Entry Requirements

A Levels

BBB or ABC in any subjects, excluding General Studies and Critical Thinking. Science A levels from English Exam Boards must include a pass in the practical element.

T Levels

Obtain an overall Pass including a B in the core of the T Level and a Merit in the Occupational Specialism. Acceptable pathways are: Health, Healthcare Science and Science

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, AQA Level 2 and 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 or 2021 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 be aged 18 by December 31st 2023.

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 Preparing for Medicine Programme will be guaranteed an interview.

Ukraine Medical Students

We recognise that medical students who have previously studied in Ukraine have had their studies disrupted but due to the integrated nature of our course, we are unable to consider transfers into our medicine programmes. We are able to support applicants who would like to transfer to an alternative non-medicine course, if places are still available, and would consider their academic background to check if entry requirements are met. At least one year of degree study would be required. In some cases, if at least two years previous degree level study has been completed, students may be considered for year 2 entry if the content is deemed comparable and grades achieved are acceptable. Please contact admissions@uea.ac.uk with details of your academic history from high school onwards

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. The UCAT website has further information.  

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. In the interests of patient and public safety, we may share some of the information provided in your application form with the Medical Schools Council in order to verify your fitness to practise. If a fitness to practise finding is made against you in the future, this information and a copy of the decision against you will also be stored on the Excluded Student Database maintained by the Medical Schools Council. The database is accessible only to other medical schools in the UK and the General Medical Council. It is used only for proper fitness to practise purposes to protect patients and the public. 

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 inform 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 must 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 providing 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 . Student support and information regarding accessibility, written exam concessions and confidential advice and guidance on health and disability is also available.

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.

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 may also undergo secondary screening, where the overall UCAT score may be ranked against the applicant cohort, with the strongest applicants invited to interview. 

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

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. 
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.
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.
These should be indicated on the UCAS application. Supporting evidence may be requested. Please note that adverse events potentially impacting on performance at A level (or equivalent) or degree classification, should be notified to the relevant examination board.  
Applications will not be considered unless you will be aged 18 by December 31st 2023. This is due to the very integrated nature of placements and primary care within the first year of the course and safeguarding implications. In view of this, students who will not be 18 years old by this date, may wish to consider applying for deferred entry.
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.
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

Interviews will be held on campus and will be in the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format, subject to following the latest government guidance.

Please note that we do not disclose interview questions.  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. Interviews will take place between November and February. 

Work Experience 

If you are invited to interview you are required to provide two examples of relevant 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 information on Work Experience  as well as guidance for gaining relevant  work 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 home (UK) applicants. The annual intake is in September each year.   We have 40 places for 2023 entry. 
Course Reference Number: 6957408

Fees and Funding

Tuition Fees  

View our information for Tuition Fees. 

Scholarships and Bursaries 

We are committed to ensuring that costs do not act as a barrier to those aspiring to come to a world leading university and have developed a funding package to reward those with excellent qualifications and assist those from lower income backgrounds. View our range of Scholarships for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates. 

 

Course related costs

View our information about Additional Course Fees. 
Course Reference Number: 6957408

How to Apply

Apply for this course through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS), using UCAS Hub.

UCAS Hub is a secure online application system that allows you to apply for full-time undergraduate courses at universities and colleges in the United Kingdom.

Your application does not have to be completed all at once. Register or sign in to UCAS to get started. 

Once you submit your completed application, UCAS will process it and send it to your chosen universities and colleges.

The Institution code for the University of East Anglia is E14.

View our guide to applying through UCAS for useful tips, key dates and further information:

How to apply through UCAS

Course Reference Number: 6957408
Key details
Attendance
Full Time
UCAS course code
A104
Entry Requirements
BBB or ABC
Duration (years)
6
Make a positive difference to people’s lives and study Medicine with us. We want everyone who has the passion and potential to succeed to have the chance to study here, and our Gateway Year route may be the perfect first step to a successful career in medicine. Join the thriving student-centred learning environment of Norwich Medical School, where you’ll develop both your clinical experience and your theoretical knowledge right from the get-go. The course will equip you with the academic skills and knowledge you will need to progress onto our five-year MB BS Medicine course, and prepare you for a career as a qualified doctor. It’s a demanding and challenging profession, but it’s also very rewarding.

Course Variants

Schools
Norwich Medical School
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