Certificate of Higher Education in Pre-Medical Studies

We will be running a number of information sessions throughout the application window which will be open to potential applicants who wish to find out more about the course. Before the session, those who have registered will be sent details on how to view pre-recorded material which will provide an overview of the pre-medical studies course. The information session will be a live Q&A with various individuals involved in the course such as the Course Director and representatives from some of the medical schools who recognise the course as an entry qualification to medicine. The dates for the live Q&A sessions are as follows (please click on the link for your chosen date to register): 

22nd November 2022 1-2pm 

13th December 2022 6-7pm 

11th January 2023 1-2pm 

2nd February 2023 6-7pm 

You can also watch the recording of a past event here. 

What will I be studying? 

The course will cover the core science topics required for entry to medical school, whilst also developing the academic skills and personal qualities required to be successful on a medicine degree. You will be supported in your applications to undergraduate medicine degrees and will be given opportunities to engage with a variety of clinicians currently working in the NHS to develop your understanding of the psychological and sociological factors that influence health and disease. 

Educational Aims 

The aims of the course are to: 

• Provide students with the appropriate foundation biology, chemistry, maths and physics knowledge and practical skills required for medicine 
• Foster an appreciation of psychological and sociological sciences in relation to healthcare 
• Offer opportunities for students to develop and use scientific inquiry so they can identify problems, acquire new knowledge from reliable sources, apply their knowledge and present solutions (within the constraints of the course) 
• Foster an appreciation for the fact that health and disease knowledge and attitudes change over time and that research is ongoing 
• Allow students to experience the styles of learning and assessment they will encounter at medical school and develop the skills required to successfully engage with these (i.e., independent study, Problem Based Learning (PBL) /small group discussions and exams) 
• Develop the required academic literacies, learning mindset and coping strategies to be successful on a medical programme 
• Support student’s UCAS application, aptitude test and medical school interview preparation; including reflection on previous experience and completion of service-user involved experience 

The course is comprised of the following modules which will be delivered over two 15-week teaching blocks: 

Teaching block 1 (September-December 2023) 

• Biology 1 - Cells and tissues. You will become familiar with the structure and function of cells within the human body and understand how they aggregate to form tissues and organs. You will also learn about the fundamental principles of genetics and inheritance. 
• Chemistry 1 - Foundations of chemistry and biochemistry. This introductory chemistry module covers the basic principles of physical and inorganic chemistry that are essential for understanding biochemical reactions in the human body. 
• Pre-medical 1 - Research, academic and interpersonal skills. Much of this module will be taught alongside Biology 1 and Chemistry 1.  Study skills workshops will focus on academic skills, numeracy, and data handling. Additional lectures and workshops will be delivered by practicing clinicians and you will engage in professional discussions to demonstrate your understanding of the NHS and the qualities required to be a doctor. 

Teaching block 2 (February-June 2024) 

• Biology 2 - Organs and systems. This module focuses on the physiology and anatomy of the body’s major organ systems and introduces students to the principles of medical imaging. 
• Chemistry 2 - Intermediate chemistry and biochemistry. You will extend your knowledge from Chemistry 1 and learn about the key biological molecules and biochemical processes that keep humans alive. 
• Pre-medical 2 - Health psychology and sociology. This module discusses healthcare in a psychological and sociological context and examines the factors that influence patient outcomes. 

The course content will provide you with a broad but medically relevant knowledge base that will prepare you for the academic rigours of medical school, and case-studies will be used throughout to highlight the relevance of every topic to a career in medicine. You will gain an appreciation of how knowledge underpinning health and disease is continually developing, and you will be able to identify and consider ethical issues in clinical practice and research thus allowing you to refine your professionalism and inclusive outlook. 

When will I study? 

Students will attend up to 24 days of face-to-face teaching spread across the 11-month programme. The course will be delivered using a blended approach including a mixture of online and in-person activities such as live workshop sessions (online and in-person), pre-recorded lectures, recommended readings, and a variety of tasks and assignments such as essays, presentations and worksheets designed to consolidate learning. The aim of this approach is to maximise access opportunities for mature learners who may have considerable work and family commitments. You will be expected to take part in two full days of face-to-face teaching every month, and there will be between one to three live sessions of up to two hours length delivered online each week. This model will be subject to change based upon university and government guidelines, and subject to review based upon student experience. 

How will I be taught? 

The CertHE is a full-time course that will mirror the intensity of medical school whilst providing sufficient time for you to develop your independent learning skills. 

You will be taught using pre-recorded (asynchronous) lectures, and live (synchronous) online and in-person workshops alongside lab-based practical sessions. Asynchronous teaching and learning takes place in the student's own time, whereas synchronous teaching and learning is formally timetabled and occurs at a specific date and time.  Sychronous teaching dates will be communicated during summer 2023 and teaching is expected to take place at a University venue in central Cambridge.

You will be expected to complete a range of formative* activities each week that will help to consolidate your learning and prepare you for the summative** assessments. This may include:  multiple choice question quizzes or short answer questions incorporated in the online lectures, contributing to discussion forums, ethical debates and journal clubs, producing group and individual presentations, performing literature searches and producing academic and reflective essays.  

The summative** assessment for the programme is 70% formal written examinations and 30% coursework. Throughout the programme you are expected to take responsibility for the nature and quality of your work and demonstrate the skills necessary to make evidence-based judgements. 

The ability to communicate accurately, both verbally and in writing, and to work as part of a team are essential for a career in medicine and therefore will be at the heart of the learning and teaching on this course. Medicine is a scientific profession that requires people to be competent with practical work both in clinical and laboratory settings and these skills will be developed throughout the course through a practical laboratory programme. 

Self-directed learning is an essential part of the course and will be encouraged in preparation for the high level of independent study expected in a medical degree. 

*formative - tasks and assignments to develop your skills. These will not contribute to your overall mark 

** summative - tasks and assignments that are formally assessed and contribute to your overall mark for the course. 

Once you have completed the course you will be able to: 

• Describe the organisation of the human body and the key structures and functions at a chemical, cellular, tissue, organ and system level. Explain how key structures and mechanisms at each level result in body function and how the body responds to specific challenges

• Apply fundamental physics principles to body function in health and disease 

• Describe core psychological and sociological theories related to health and explain why these factors are important in modern healthcare 

• Use specified numerical approaches and techniques to process, explain and evaluate data in given tasks 

How will I be assessed? 

Your grade for the Certificate of HE in Pre-Medical Studies (120 credits at FHEQ level 4) will be determined by your performance in the summative assessments. All summative assessment together will total 18,000-24,000 words or their equivalent. There is also an expectation that you will also engage fully with all formative tasks. 

In the first teaching block you will take Biology 1, Chemistry 1, and Pre-Med 1, and your marks in the summative assessments for these modules will constitute 50% of your final grade. 

In the second teaching block you will take Biology 2, Chemistry 2, and Pre-Med 2, and your marks in the summative assessments for these modules will constitute the other 50% of your final grade. 

Should you wish to exit the programme with a Certificate in Human Science Foundations (60 credits at FHEQ level 4) you will be awarded a course grade based on: 

Engagement with all formative tasks in Biology 1, Chemistry 1, and Pre-Med 1. 

Your marks in the summative assessments for Biology 1, Chemistry 1, and Pre-Med 1. 

The fee for the course is £8000 in academic year 2023-24. 

This includes teaching, and access to specialist software required as part of the course. 

It does not include food or accommodation during the course or travel to and from in-person teaching sessions. 

You can pay in three ways:  

• in full on enrolment by credit or debit card  

• in instalments (credit/debit card only). The instalment plan is usually in three equal instalments, the first on enrolment with the second and third instalment being taken on 1 January and 1 April. The exact dates will be confirmed in the student’s individual booking details. It may be possible to access an undergraduate student loan to study this course and a subsequent medical degree. 

A small amount of protective, practical equipment may be required including lab coat, goggles, an appropriate lab book and university approved calculator at the cost of approximately £30. 

Pre-Medical Studies Bursary 

The Pre-Medical Studies bursaries are intended to support mature students, who have not previously studied at higher education level, to enrol on the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education’s FHEQ level 4 Certificate of Higher Education in Pre-Medical Studies (120 credits), which will be delivered as a blended online and in-person course in the academic year 2023-24. 

Up to 12 tuition fee bursaries of £3,000 will be available, reducing the tuition fee from £8,000 to £5,000. 

To apply for the bursary, please provide a personal statement (up to 200 words), outlining your motivations for applying for the bursary.  While all eligible candidates are encouraged to apply, we particularly seek to support applicants with a clear connection to the East of England, with an aspiration to improve access to and the quality of healthcare provision in the region.  

Bursary Eligibility Criteria (proof will be required): 

• Home address at time of application must be in one of the following area postcodes - AL, CB, CM, CO, IP, LU, MK, NN, NR, PE, RM, SG, SS; 
• UK Citizen, or holder of UK Indefinite Leave to Remain Status or holder of UK Refugee Status; 
• Aged 21, or over, by 01 September 2023; 
• Hold at least 6 GCSEs B/6 grades or higher - including Mathematics, English Language and two science subjects - by 01 September 2023; 
• An intention to apply for medical school after completion of this course with this clearly articulated in the supporting statement 
• Not have previously studied at higher education level (i.e. FHEQ level 4 or higher). 

The bursary application closing date is 22nd May 2023. You can apply here. The Bursary Panel will meet to consider applications received up to this date and students will be informed of the outcome within one month of the closing date. 

There is no financial barrier criteria for this bursary. 

Selection process 

Applicants will be considered in two batches; those who applied before the 27th of February 2023; and those who applied after that date but before the final application deadline of the 22nd May 2023. 

Please note that all shortlisted applicants will be interviewed prior to an offer being made. The interviews will be held either in person or online via Zoom. Interviews are expected to take place in of the weeks commencing 20th March and 19th June 2023. 

The purpose of the interview, which will last 30-40 minutes, will be to assess your motivations and suitability for the course of study. 

Supporting evidence 

There are a number of documents that you will need to provide to support your application to the CertHE in Pre-Medical Studies. 

• If you have GCSE qualifications and intend to go on to study medicine, you must include with your application copies of your GCSE certificates in English Language, Mathematics, and Science (uploaded as pdfs).  
• A personal statement of no more than 500 words written directly into the available space on the application form. For further information about the personal statement please see the ‘FAQ’ section. 
• Evidence of English language (if applicable). Please see the requirements section for further details.
• If you are made an offer, please note that you will be expected to provide proof that you are a UK National or have Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). 

What should I include in my personal statement?  

This is your opportunity to tell us why you wish to join the CertHE in Pre-Medical Studies. The statement does not need to be long - around 500 words - and should include your motivation and any relevant experience. Studying medicine at university and working as a doctor in the NHS are both incredibly demanding, and the Pre-Medical Studies programme has been designed to reflect the academic and professional challenges that students will encounter if they choose to pursue this career path. You should therefore use the personal statement to demonstrate, with examples, that you have the commitment, drive, and academic ability to be successful not only on this course but on a medical degree. To do this you will need to show that you have a good understanding of what life is like as a doctor and why this is something you aspire to, and that you have the required personal qualities. You must also illustrate that you have the scientific aptitude, resilience, and work ethic required to undertake this academically challenging programme. For shortlisted applicants the personal statement may be used as the basis for discussion at interview.    

When is the application deadline?  

Applications will be considered in two batches; those received before the 27th February 2023 and those received after that date and before the final application deadline of 22nd May 2023.   

When are the interviews?  

It is anticipated that interviews will be held in the weeks of the 20th March and 19th June depending on when the application was submitted. You will be given a date and time, along with more information about the specifics of the interview if you are shortlisted after application.  

The course description says that it will be delivered to fit around my existing work and family commitments. How does this work?  

We understand that many students on the CertHE in Pre-Medical Studies may have considerable work and family commitments. We will support students to complete their studies by delivering the course using a ‘blended’ model. Blended learning means that teaching will be delivered using a mix of online and face-to-face teaching sessions, and students will only be expected to attend teaching in Cambridge for two consecutive days a month. Exact teaching dates will be provided in summer 2023. Face to face teaching will take place at a University venue in central Cambridge.  

Each week you will be given access to several pre-recorded lectures and homework tasks that you will watch and complete in your own time, meaning that you can fit most of your learning around other commitments. Pre-recorded lectures and homework tasks are called ‘asynchronous activities’ because every individual in the cohort will be completing their work at different times. In addition to the asynchronous activities, all students in the cohort will come together to attend up to three hours of synchronous online teaching each week. These synchronous teaching sessions will be delivered in the evening and, whilst attendance is highly encouraged, they will be recorded for those who cannot make it.  

Below is an indicative example timetable of a ‘typical’ week, but please be aware that this is subject to change:  

Although the course is designed to allow people to continue to work as they study, it should be noted that the workload on this programme is high, and students should anticipate that they will need to dedicate up to 37.5 hours per week to their studies.  

Will I be guaranteed a place at one of the partner medical schools if I complete the course?  

Completion of the HE Certificate in Pre-medical Studies does not guarantee progression to a medical school. However, it is recognised by UEA, ARU and University of Cambridge as an alternative entry qualification for mature (21+) applicants without traditional A-levels or their equivalent. Students on the CertHE in Pre-Medical Studies are eligible to apply to undergraduate programmes at the medical schools of UEA, ARU, and University of Cambridge via UCAS and will undergo the same selection process as other applicants, there is no guarantee of a place. Please note that applicants for medical schools will also be required to hold the minimum GCSE requirements described in the ‘Entry Requirements’ section as well as have an enhanced DBS check.  

Applicants should recognise that entry to medical school is highly competitive and their progression on to a medical degree will depend on their performance in pre-admissions aptitude tests (UCAT and/or BMAT) and interviews, alongside a high-level performance on the CertHE in Pre-Medical Studies. Students must also be prepared to undergo further Occupational Health and DBS assessments.  

What if I don’t get an offer at medical school?  

You can apply to up to five courses using the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). This means that if you choose to apply to all three partner medical schools (i.e. Cambridge, UEA, and ARU) you have the option of applying for a further two non-medicine courses. Most students use these additional places to apply to courses that relate to medicine such as biomedical sciences or paramedic studies. The competitive nature of the medical school application process* means that we cannot guarantee that you will secure a place to study medicine despite completing the CertHE in Pre-Medical Studies. In this eventuality, the academic and administrative staff at ICE will work with you to find an appropriate solution that meets your specific needs, and this may involve accepting an offer that you have received to study on an alternative (non-medicine) degree programme.  

If you are not offered a place on any course, then you can use UCAS Extra to find an alternative route (https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/after-you-apply/types-offer/extra-choices). This system is designed to give students another opportunity to find a suitable degree programme, and staff at ICE will work with individuals to help them obtain a place on a course that is appropriate to their interests and abilities.  

*The number of places available for students to study medicine in the UK is capped because the training capacity of the NHS is limited by staff and resource availability. This, coupled with the large increase in applications that has occurred in recent years, means that only approximately 20% of medical school applicants are offered a placed.  

What if I don’t meet the requirements of my medical school offer?  

Students on the CertHE in Pre-Medical Studies who are given a place to study medicine will need to meet the conditions of their offer. The specifics will vary between students and institutions, but it is likely that offer holders will need to achieve an average mark of 70-75% in their CertHE to be able to take up their place to study medicine at the partner medical schools. Students who can demonstrate that they did not meet the threshold mark because of extenuating circumstances will be given an additional opportunity to re-sit the affected assessments, and upon their successful completion they will be able to take-up their place. Students who subsequently fail to meet the threshold mark, or who do not have a compelling reason for not meeting the mark stated in their offer in the first instance, will not be accepted into a partner medical school.  

If you do not meet the conditions of your offer you will be eligible to enter Clearing; a process run by UCAS designed to match-up students without a place at university with courses that still have availability. Alternatively, you may choose to reapply to university the year after you complete the CertHE in Pre-Medical Studies, and your tutors will provide you with the necessary documentation to support your application.  

I’ve been offered a place on the CertHE in Pre-Medical Studies – what do I need to do now?  

There are several things that you can do to prepare yourself to study on the CertHE in Pre-Medical Studies:  

1. Correspond with the ICE admissions team to ensure that they have all of the documentation they need to enrol you on the course, e.g. copies of your GCSE certificates (if applicable) and evidence of British citizenship or indefinite leave to remain in the UK.  

1. Talk to your employer and family to come up with a plan that will allow you to fit your studies around your pre-existing commitments.  

1. Attend Open Days at the medical schools of the University of Cambridge, UEA, and ARU so that you can start to make decisions about which course is going to be the best fit for you if you intend to pursue further studies.  

1. Familiarise yourself with the UCAT (https://www.ucat.ac.uk/) and begin your preparations if you intend to apply to medical school – you can never start too soon!  

1. Dust off your GCSE biology and chemistry textbooks and refamiliarise yourself with the core content. The more familiar you are with the fundamental sof GCSE biology and chemistry, the easier you will find the CertHE in Pre-Medical Studies.  

1. Remember that the team at ICE is here to support you so get in touch if you have any questions or concerns.  

Glossary of terms  

UCAS – the University and Colleges Admissions Service. You will apply to the medical schools at University of Cambridge, UEA, and ARU using UCAS. You can apply for up to five courses at five different universities. If you chose to apply for all three of the partner medical schools associated with the CertHE in Pre-Medical Studies you will have an additional two courses that you can apply to. Staff at ICE will support you with your UCAS application.  

BMAT – the BioMedical Aptitude Test (https://www.admissionstesting.org/for-test-takers/bmat/). All students who apply to study medicine at the University of Cambridge are expected to take the BMAT. It is a standardised test that is broken down into three sections; 1. Thinking Skills, 2. Scientific Knowledge and Applications, 3. Writing Task. The BMAT tests scientific knowledge, therefore students on the CertHE in Pre-Medical Studies will sit it in the February after they start the course to allow them sufficient time to develop their understanding of the relevant scientific disciplines. If students are offered a place to study medicine at Cambridge, they will be expected to attain a benchmark value in the BMAT before they can take up their place and this benchmark value varies from year to year. Students on the CertHE in Pre-Medical Studies who do not apply to Cambridge will not need to sit the BMAT.  

UCAT – the University Clinical Aptitude Test (https://www.ucat.ac.uk/). UCAT is used by the medical schools at UEA and ARU to assess candidates’ aptitude to study medicine and potential to forge a career as a doctor. The UCAT does not test subject specific knowledge, therefore students are expected to take the UCAT prior to starting the CertHE in Pre-Medical Studies at ICE as their lack of recent scientific education will not be a disadvantage. The pre-sessional activities run in the summer before students start the CertHE will partly focus on UCAT preparation.