Widening Access to Medicine

Hey there

I am very keen to study medicine. I’m in Scotland and the absolute minimum entry requirements I can find are
AAABB

I am 1 mark away from that (getting AABBB)

Would they consider me whatsoever? If I had a good PS, reference experience in medical sector??

I got all A’s for my Scottish equivalent of GCSEs!

Other options are getting advanced Highers and doing well but they almost always done at school and I have left left school and can’t find any courses.

I could try the gateway or widening access. Long story short I was in a low social-economic household, no one in my family has ever went to Uni as I was raised a Jehovahs witness’s and so was strongly encouraged not to pursue my Highers and family didn’t want me going to Uni.

My dad died as I started my Highers too and so my Mum had a mental health breakdown and so I had to move to my grandparents.

Would you think this would meet the requirements for Widening Access? Is there an angle requirement as this wasn’t now nearly 6 years ago. I’m 22 now and doing well

Is there any other route into medicine? I would need to study in Scotland as it’s free. I could take a student loan but would need to think a lot about that.

Any general advice would be great? Should I bother applying for the standard degree as I am one A away?

Thanks!!

I am a 20 year old current first time medical applicant in Scotland. I got 4A's and a B (with extenuating circumstances) at higher but 3A's at Advanced higher. I was told that while you have to have Advanced Highers and most Scottish offers are conditional on Advanced Higher grades, e.g BBB or AB, etc- getting in my case all A's at Advanced Higher does not discount the B at higher (Glasgow) and while I applied to Edinburgh with the B as I met their requirements I was rejected by Edinburgh due to academic scores which were lowered by the B. I currently have a Glasgow interview in February- applied pre-UCAS submission for extenuating circumstances which were granted (see further in my response).

You have to meet both higher and Advanced Higher requirements to study medicine as an undergraduate. I was told that unfortunately a great personal statement and incredible experience unfortunately wouldn't make up for missing academic requirements. Also, you would need to look at the different universities as Edinburgh for example require the grades to be achieved no more then 3 years prior to starting the course, while Glasgow say 7 years.

Not sure about the widening access- it might be best to contact one/ several of the medical schools to find out what they consider widening access. I applied for extenuating circumstances on my B which Glasgow granted so have been able to apply there, I was 1% off an A at Higher English with circumstances. Glasgow standard entry requirements are AAAAA at higher.

If you study something else first, you could apply to medicine as a graduate (you need to receive at least a 2.1 degree) to undergraduate medicine in Scotland or to graduate medicine via the Dundee/At Andrews ScotGEM 4 year A101 course:

https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/subjects/medicine/scotgem-mbchb/

I was told that if you don't meet the e.g. higher grades to apply for medicine as an undergraduate with no degree but then go study something else receiving a 2.1 degree, then you will meet the academic requirements for e.g. Glasgow, pretty sure the others are the same except ScotGEM- but you probably meet their additional academic requirements above 2.1, eg a A or B at Higher Chemistry and then Maths -National 5 (grade A or B).

I also have to study in Scotland, if I get in I definitely plan on using the student loan from SAAS as you only start paying it back when you earn more then a certain amount. I wouldn't be able to afford to study without the loan.

Best advice is to contact the medical schools to find if you would possibly qualify for widening access and if so what about your grades, could these things you mentioned be grounds for extenuating circumstances and if so could you use both widening access and extenuating circumstances? There is no point in looking into Advanced Highers(which are requirements) until you can be sure that they would accept AABBB as they told me that they would not even consider an application from an undergraduate that failed to meet higher requirements (unless extenuating circumstances with paperwork evidence - I had a letter from School and doctor) no matter how great the Advanced Higher grades were. You also need to find if your grades are even still considered 'valid' at the different Medical Schools given how many years ago they were achieved.

This is what the widening access link on the Glasgow medicine page leads to:

https://www.gla.ac.uk/undergraduate/entryrequirements/accessglasgow/

I hope this is all at least a bit helpful or has helped guide you with what to do and who to contact next. I would honestly say that I think that you are going to need to study something else first and then apply to medicine in order to meet the academic requirements and time limits.

Good luck!

Did you know they lower the higher entry requirements with extenuating circs?

Hey there

I am very keen to study medicine. I’m in Scotland and the absolute minimum entry requirements I can find are
AAABB

I am 1 mark away from that (getting AABBB)

Would they consider me whatsoever? If I had a good PS, reference experience in medical sector??

I got all A’s for my Scottish equivalent of GCSEs!

Other options are getting advanced Highers and doing well but they almost always done at school and I have left left school and can’t find any courses.

I could try the gateway or widening access. Long story short I was in a low social-economic household, no one in my family has ever went to Uni as I was raised a Jehovahs witness’s and so was strongly encouraged not to pursue my Highers and family didn’t want me going to Uni.

My dad died as I started my Highers too and so my Mum had a mental health breakdown and so I had to move to my grandparents.

Would you think this would meet the requirements for Widening Access? Is there an angle requirement as this wasn’t now nearly 6 years ago. I’m 22 now and doing well

Is there any other route into medicine? I would need to study in Scotland as it’s free. I could take a student loan but would need to think a lot about that.

Any general advice would be great? Should I bother applying for the standard degree as I am one A away?

Thanks!!

No, I didn't know until I went to the open day in June this year and spoke to someone from admissions (I initially thought the 3A's I achieved at advanced higher in S6 may have made up for it) who said the only way they would consider an application from someone who narrowly missed their higher requirements (I fell short of receiving all A's by literally 1%) and wasn't a widening access candidate (with lower entry requirements) is if they either applied as a graduate earning a 2.1 degree or if there were specific circumstances that led to this with documented evidence (which I had) and even then they may not accept this. I had to submit my evidence and then wait for them to get back to me with a decision on whether they would actually accept my extenuating circumstances. - On the website it says:

"Applicants who have narrowly missed the minimum entry requirements may be considered under exceptional circumstances. Applicants who feel that they have faced exceptional circumstances at the time of their examinations should submit a letter, with supporting documentation from the educational institution and relevant documentation (GP letter, police report, etc). Documents should be received by the Admissions Administrator at least 6 weeks prior to submitting an application. It is not normally possible to adjust or discount UKCAT scores under extenuating circumstances."

I didn't even know if they were going to honestly accept my extenuating circumstances until after I had submitted paperwork at least 6 weeks before my medical application, I knew that if they didn't I wouldn't be able to apply to Glasgow with a B at higher and I am truly thankful that they took everything I submitted as evidence into consideration and accepted my extenuating circumstances as it has given me an opportunity to apply to my number one choice medical school.