Gateway Year to Medicine MBChB

Course overview

At the University of Leeds, we know finding a place to study Medicine is challenging and competitive. That’s why we're levelling the playing field to give more talented students access to high quality medical education.

Our new Gateway to Medicine course is a six-year course comprising of a Foundation year followed by a run through into the five-year MBChB medical degree. It is designed specifically for students from widening participation backgrounds who are hoping to take their first steps into Medicine.

This flagship initiative aims to increase diversity within the medical profession. The Gateway to Medicine course is designed to provide young people who meet widening participation criteria with the opportunity to build confidence, to attain additional study skills and to fill gaps in their academic knowledge. This then allows them to begin the MBChB programme with the skills, knowledge and confidence to successfully become a doctor.

Connect and develop

You will build your scientific knowledge and core professional skills, learning from leading academics and healthcare professionals. Crucially, the Gateway year will inspire you with the confidence and ambition to transition successfully into undergraduate medicine.

Progressing onto our MBChB course

After successfully completing your initial Gateway to Medicine year, including reaching the required grades on the assessment elements of the course, you’ll progress to the five standard years of our established MBChB course.

On the MBChB you will:

• Learn from experienced professionals who directly inform the curriculum with their world-leading medical research.

• Work with patients to incrementally build your confidence and experience.

• Undertake high-quality clinical placements within our strong network, comprising Leeds Teaching Hospitals, local acute and regional general hospitals and general practices.

• Learn in dedicated teaching facilities in the newly refurbished School of Medicine, including the Medical Teaching Centre, Clinical Practice Centre, libraries and study spaces.

Course details

Our Gateway to Medicine course is designed for students who meet our Leeds Widening Participation criteria. At Leeds, we will equip you with effective study strategies and the confidence to communicate with a wide range of people, including health professionals and patients and carers.

You will develop an appreciation of patient care, team roles and the patient journey within the context of the NHS and voluntary services.

The modules from the first year are listed below, with modules for the remaining years being those taken as part of our established 5 year MBChB course.

Throughout your degree you will benefit from the range of opportunities, expanding your intellectual horizons outside or within your subject area.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Gateway Year to Medicine MBChB in the course catalogue

Year 1 compulsory modules

Learning and teaching

Our approach to teaching and learning is founded on best educational practice and innovative delivery, from your Gateway year through to your final years of refining your clinical skills and communication.

Once you’ve completed your Gateway year, you will progress to the MBChB, where you will be encouraged to find your own style as a doctor. Over the next five years, you will receive early exposure to outstanding clinical placement and start developing your consultation and practical skills.

You will also learn from innovative, leading professionals who directly inform the curriculum with world-leading medical research. We are also a recognised leader in patient and carer involvement. At Leeds, you will gain first-hand insight from people with a medical condition or disability, and their carers from our Patient Carer Community.

We will help you develop your independent learning and research skills through the Research, Evaluation and Special Studies strand which runs throughout the course in a safe and tight-knit learning environment.

Facilities

Our newly redeveloped medical school building is home to dedicated teaching facilities to enhance your learning. You will have access to outstanding learning resources in our Health Sciences Library and Clinical Practice Centre to support your learning, complemented by a range of learning technologies.

Support

We take the health and well-being of our students seriously. Regular contact with your personal tutor guides your academic progress and personal development, to enable you to achieve your full potential. Course tutors and support staff are all on hand to help. Once you’ve progressed from your initial Gateway to Medicine year you’ll be supported by your fellow-medical students through our MUMS scheme, where you are paired with first-year “siblings” and second-year “parents”, who mentor you and are there to help.

On this course, you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Entry requirements

A-level: BBC

Widening participation criteria for the Gateway Year to Medicine

Because this course is open only to Widening Participation applicants from the UK, in addition to the academic requirements specified below, further criteria must be met in order to be eligible. These can be found here.

Values based recruitment is carried out across our vocational programmes. Candidates who apply to more than one vocational course in the School of Medicine will only be considered for one course. Please note that if a candidate demonstrates motivation and insight for another non-School of Medicine vocational course e.g. nursing or dentistry they will be rejected without further consideration. Candidates therefore cannot apply to the Gateway to Medicine and Medicine programmes in the same application cycle.

Where possible, candidates who apply for multiple programmes within the School of Medicine will be informed that they must choose one course only.

This course is not open to international applicants.

Academic requirements

A Level: BBC including Chemistry or Biology at B grade. Physics or Maths must also be offered if Chemistry is not taken.

Certain combinations are not acceptable, specifically:

• Chemistry with Biology and Human Biology

• Chemistry with Mathematics and Further Mathematics

Applicants who are studying both Chemistry and Biology, who are predicted ABB or greater with the A in Chemistry or Biology and also meet the Widening Participation criteria are not eligible to apply to A101 and should apply via the Access to Leeds route to the A100 course.

Applicants predicted ABB without the A in Chemistry or Biology, and applicants who are not taking both Chemistry and Biology A-Levels, are not eligible to apply to A100. They should therefore apply to the Gateway course if they meet the Widening Participation criteria.

Candidates who have studied previous Access to HE Diploma or foundation courses will not be accepted onto this programme.

Graduate applicants will not be accepted onto this programme.

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 UCAS academic reference should include the reasons for this so that it can be taken into consideration by the admissions team.

A Level: Please note that A levels sat in Year 12 will not form part of the shortlisting scoring for interview and offers will be made on 3 A levels taken in Year 13. Those taking a fourth A2 subject will not be at an advantage to those taking three.

GCSE: Please note that applicants applying with these minimums are unlikely to be shortlisted to interview and that scoring is based on 8 GCSEs.

All qualifications: Applications from applicants re-sitting exams are only likely to be successful in exceptional circumstances. Well-supported documentary evidence of any extenuating circumstances is required and must be mentioned in your personal statement or explained by your referee. Applications will not normally be considered from those undertaking a third attempt at an academic entry qualification.

GCSE: A minimum of 6 GCSEs grade C or above (or 4 or above) required in Maths, English Language, Biology and Chemistry (or Dual Science/Double Science). Lower achieved or predicted grades at A level will be rejected. BTECs are not accepted. Candidates who have studied previous access or foundation courses will not be accepted onto this programme. Graduate applicants will not be accepted onto this programme. 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. Please note that A levels sat in Year 12 will not form part of the shortlisting scoring for interview and offers will be made on 3 A levels taken in Year 13.

Other course specific tests:

Age

Please note that applicants must be 18 years of age or over by the first day of the programme.

Evidence of Study

Applicants will need to show evidence of being in full-time education in the last 5 years.

DBS Checks

The University of Leeds is obliged to refuse admission to applicants for certain courses, which are regulated by national or statutory bodies, where an Enhanced DBS certificate or International Criminality check reveals prior criminal behaviour giving rise to concern for the protection of the public. Clinical placements cannot be attended by those who fail to comply with the clearance processes. 

As part of your application to study you are required to declare any criminal convictions in order that certain checks with the DBS can be undertaken. The University will send further instructions as part of the admissions process where such checks are required.

Occupational Health Clearance

Any offer of a place to study on this course is conditional upon a satisfactory confidential occupational health assessment. All students will complete a pre-registration screening questionnaire which allows our occupational health team at the University support you to meet your true potential on the programme despite any pre-existing health concerns you may have.

The process also allows our occupational health team to check your immunity requirements so we can ensure that both patients and you are protected and kept safe. This will involve understanding your immunisation record to date.

Additionally, for Medicine, Gateway to Medicine, Physician Associates, Midwifery Programmes, Dentistry (undergraduate and postgraduate) and Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy, where you will be undertaking Exposure Prone Procedure (EPP) work during your training we will be screening for HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B surface antigen, in accordance with Department of Health regulations.

For students and applicants to the Faculty of Medicine and Health, please see our dedicated webpage for more information about Occupational Health.

HEOPS offers guidance on occupational health resources and health surveillance.

UCAT

All applicants for the MBChB and Gateway to Medicine course will be required to take UCAT for 2024 entry onwards. This test must be taken in the year of application. We do not accept other aptitude tests instead, e.g. BMAT or GAMSAT.

UCAT is a computer-based admissions test used by a consortium of UK and international universities to help select applicants for their medical and dental degree programmes. We strongly recommend you prepare for the test. There are many materials to help you, including on the UCAT website. https://www.ucat.ac.uk/

Work Experience

Medical schools are aware that work experience opportunities open to you have been affected and will take this into account. Additionally, keep in mind that clinical work experience is not generally a requirement for applying to medical school in any year. Further information on work experience can be found here.

Personal Statement

Although personal statements are not formally part of our shortlisting process, these form an essential part of your preparation for interview and it is therefore important that these are a clear and accurate reflection of how your skills and attributes make you an ideal candidate to study medicine.

Please read advice on personal statement and reference, non-academic achievements and personal qualities here.

Alternative qualification

Fees

UK: To be confirmed

Read more about paying fees and charges.

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page.

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There is help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more in our Undergraduate funding overview.

Studying in the School of Medicine at Leeds is an amazing opportunity, but we know that the cost can be difficult for many people to meet. If you are keen to join us, a range of funding opportunities are available.

Applying

Apply to this course through UCAS. The institution code for the University of Leeds is L23. Check the deadline for applications on the UCAS website. The application closing date for medicine is earlier than for many other courses – all full-time undergraduate applications must be made through the UCAS website by 15th October of the year preceding entry. The School of Medicine does not normally accept applications after the initial UCAS closing date.

All applicants will be sent an online form to indicate their Widening Participation criteria once their UCAS application has been received. A referee will be required to validate this information.

Selection process

A successful application passes through several stages before we make an offer:

1. We assess the application form against academic criteria, considering past and predicted grades, and the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) score. We take into account any issues regarding mitigating circumstances raised in personal statements and academic reference.

UCAT is a computer-based admissions test used by a consortium of UK and international universities to help select applicants for their medical and dental degree programmes. We strongly recommend candidates prepare for the test. There are many materials to help candidates, including on the UCAT website.

2. For those students applying for 2025 entry, interviews for the Gateway programme will take place on 6th, 7th and 8th January 2025.

These will take place face to face. Using a multiple mini-interview format, we will further assess applicants’ non-academic qualities. There are currently eight interview stations, and the format of stations varies. A single interviewer will award marks for each station according to a pre-determined standardised scale.

3. Offers are made on the basis of merit and the ability of each applicant to meet the academic and non-academic criteria for admission. The decision to make an offer after interview depends entirely on performance at interview, not on predicted or achieved academic performance, or other scores.

Further information and suggestions on how to prepare can be found on the Medical Schools Council website.

Unfortunately, because of the nature and volume of applications and interviews, we are unable to provide specific individual feedback.

Please see the latest School of Medicine Admissions Appeals and Complaints Procedure.

Admissions policy

School of Medicine undergraduate admissions policy 2025

This course is taught by

School of Medicine

Contact us

School of Medicine Undergraduate Admissions Team

Email: ugmadmissions@leeds.ac.uk
Telephone:

Career opportunities

We believe that an outstanding medical education should be accessible to all students, regardless of background. The Gateway to Medicine course is the first step towards your long and successful medical career.

The depth of expertise offered by our staff on our MBChB course, along with the variety of skills, experience and versatility you’ll learn, means that our Gateway year can be the start of a range of different career paths within the discipline.

Our MBChB enables our graduates to embark on a variety of careers, including hospital consultancy, General Practice (GP), medical and scientific research, leadership in the NHS and international health development. Once you progress onto the MBChB, our dedicated careers team are available to advise you and to give you the necessary support and information to make the right decisions at each step of your development.

After Year 5, you'll begin foundation training before becoming fully registered with the General Medical Council.

Study abroad and work placements

There are no study abroad opportunities within the first Gateway to Medicine year. However, students do have the opportunity to undertake an intercalated degree after progressing to years 2, 3, or 4 of the MBChB course. Some of the degree options include an opportunity to study abroad.

We are developing new links and strengthening existing ones with providers in Europe to ensure our students can spend time understanding other cultures and healthcare systems.

On progressing to year 5 of the MBChB course you can choose to spend your six-week elective abroad. This elective is about gaining wider clinical experience or carrying out a specific project. Past students have worked in health centres, charities, universities and hospitals on all continents, ranging from world-leading research institutes to isolated units delivering healthcare in developing countries.

MBChB students can study languages as part of the “Students without Borders” programme so they are fluent enough to work as junior doctors in French- or Spanish-speaking countries after graduation.

Many of our graduates consider working in the USA and Canada. We support students through the process of applying for the North American licensing systems and examinations.

Clinical placements

Clinical placements in Leeds are second-to-none and are central to your training. Our strong partnerships with the major Leeds teaching hospitals, local acute and regional general hospitals and general practices mean we can offer our students a diverse range of placements.