Sun Sep 5 2010

Access to Higher Education Awards provide a route into Higher Education for those who may not have had an opportunity to study at this level in the past but have a desire and the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills in the future.  This award has been developed by Stafford College, New College Telford, Newcastle under Lyme College in partnership with Keele University and Staffordshire, Stoke on Trent, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin Lifelong Learning Network. 

 

Access to HE (Medicine and Health Professions) is an intensive preparation for degree courses in medicine and allied health professions. It is designed for adults who aspire to qualify for example as a doctor or pharmacist, but who do not currently hold the appropriate qualifications to meet the academic admissions criteria for medical or other associated programmes. 

It may be that you have not had the opportunity to study towards a degree or diploma or have achieved in other areas and now wish to retrain as a health professional. If you already hold a degree, then we suggest you check entry requirements with specific universities before applying for this course.

 

The main subjects will be chemistry, biology, mathematics and physics. You will also complete a project linked to human disease and prevention. The project will help you to develop your independent research skills using current literature and journals. The course also helps you to develop your personal and interpersonal skills including study skills and how to communicate information which is important in a health care setting.

 

You will be assessed through written assignments, oral presentations, practical assessments and examinations.  There will be two exam periods during the year. Assignments will also be set throughout the programme. In addition, you will also have to complete a project.

 

There will be approximately 14 hours timetable hours of learning each week.

 

In addition to the classroom sessions, completion of assignments, practical work and examinations you will need to spend a lot of time actively studying, learning and reading around your subjects. You should be prepared to undertake a minimum 20 hours of independent study every week. Supporting resources will be available on the VLE to support you and they can be accessed by students off site as well as in the college's learning resources centre.

 

Entry Requirements
This programme is designed for the mature learner who has experience of a caring role and can demonstrate aspiration and commitment to their studies. A minimum of 5 GCSE’s or O’ Levels at grade A-C including English, Maths, and two Sciences are required. Some medical schools may request a minimum of Grade B in GCSE English and Maths.

 

If English is not your first language, we will also normally require you to have an International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) score of 6 (or equivalent) to join the Access to HE (Medicine and Health Professions) course. You should also check the requirements of individual university medical schools - some require an IELTS score of 7.
 

Interview Process
As part of the selection process there will be a presentation, group discussion on contemporary issues, a written piece of work and an interview. All aspects of the selection process will need to be completed satisfactorily. 

 

The Access to HE (Medicine and Health Professions) is a nationally recognised qualification. However, we advise all prospective applicants to do their own research to find out what individual universities’ entry requirements are before starting the Access to HE (Medicine and Health Professions) course. This is best done by looking at medical schools' websites or their prospectuses. You will be required to take UKCAT (UK Clinical Aptitude Test) before applying for university in October. However medical school entry requirements do vary and you may be required to take BMAT (British Medical Admissions Tests).

 

Start Date     September 2010

For more information, plesae email info@nct.ac.uk or telephone Kate Roberts on 01952 641892.