Access to Higher Education Diploma (Medicine)

Key Facts

Level:
Level 3
Subject Sector:
1.1 Medicine and Dentistry
Credits:
60
Qualification No:
QAAQ005284
Price:
View price list
Age Range:
19+
QAA aim code:
40012682

Qualification Summary

The Diploma provides learners with a wide choice of units to support progression into Medicine degree programmes. The mandatory groups ensure that learners have a good understanding of themes relevant to Medicine including key topics in chemistry, biology, other science/mathematics, use and comprehension of numerical data, study skills and professional behaviours. Example units are: Chemical Principles: Particles and Forces, Energetics, Kinetics and Equilibria, Introduction to Chemistry, Organic and Biochemical Molecules, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Fundamental Physics: Theory, Mathematics: Algebra, Exponentials and Logarithms, Drug Calculations and Health Related Charts
Professional Behaviours for Medical Practitioners.
The Access to Higher Education Diploma (Medicine) has been developed to meet the requirements of the QAA subject descriptor for Medicine.

Learners must achieve a total of 60 credits, of which 45 credits must be achieved at level 3 from graded units which are concerned with academic subject content and the remaining 15 credits must be achieved at level 3 from units which are ungraded. All learners must register for at least one 6-credit or one 9-credit unit as part of their programme of study; this can be a graded or ungraded unit. The maximum number of credits that can be made up from 6-credit or 9-credit units is 30 credits; this can be from graded and ungraded 6-credit and 9-credit units.

Learners must complete 45 credits from the graded units in Chemistry, Biology and Other Science/Maths and 15 credits from the ungraded units.

Why choose Gateway Qualifications for this qualification?

Gateway Qualifications offers a range of innovative, flexible and dynamic vocational qualifications that are valued and meaningful and which will develop the skills necessary to gain employment or to progress through further study.

Units

Graded Academic Subject Content Units

Learners must complete at total of 45 credits which must be achieved at level 3 from graded units which are concerned with academic subject content.

Mandatory Units: Graded Academic Subject Content (Chemistry)

Learners must achieve 15 credits from this group

Chemical Principles: Particles and Forces

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
6
Unit No:
QU034910
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Energetics, Kinetics, Equilibria

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
3
Unit No:
QU034874
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Organic and Biochemical Molecules

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
3
Unit No:
QU035014
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Mandatory Units: Graded Academic Subject Content (Biology)

Learners must achieve 15 credits from this group.

Cell Biology and Biochemistry

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
6
Unit No:
QU035192
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Human Anatomy and Physiology

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
6
Unit No:
QU034782
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Introduction to Genetics

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
3
Unit No:
QU035246
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Mandatory Units: Graded Academic Subject Content (Other Science/Maths)

Learners must achieve 9 credits from this group.

Fundamental Physics: Theory

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
3
Unit No:
QU034610
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Mathematics: Algebra, Exponentials and Logarithms

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
3
Unit No:
QU034812
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Physics and the Senses

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
3
Unit No:
QU035026
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Optional Units: Graded Academic Subject Content

Learners must achieve 6 credits from this group.

Circulation and Immunity

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
3
Unit No:
QU035198
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Homeostasis

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
3
Unit No:
QU034984
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Nutrition, Digestion and Excretion

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
3
Unit No:
QU035919
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Research: Practical Investigation Project for Medicine

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
6
Unit No:
QU035298
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The Endocrine System

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
3
Unit No:
QU034846
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Ungraded Units

Learners must achieve 15 credits from the Mandatory Units: Ungraded group.

Mandatory Units: Ungraded

Learners must achieve 9 credits from this group.

Drug Calculations and Health Related Charts

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
3
Unit No:
QU035355
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Professional Behaviour for Medical Practitioners

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
3
Unit No:
QU035176
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Study Skills for Higher Education

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
3
Unit No:
QU034730
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Optional Units: Ungraded

Learners must achieve 6 credits from this group.

Mathematics for Science

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
3
Unit No:
QU034862
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Presenting Information Using ICT

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
3
Unit No:
QU034714
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Promoting Wellbeing and Building Resilience

Level:
Level 3
Guided Learning Hours:
Not available
Credits:
3
Unit No:
QU034720
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Intended learner groups

• Adults who, because of social, educational or individual circumstances, may have achieved few, if any, prior qualifications and wish to progress to Higher Education.
• Adults who have gone straight into industry (perhaps following apprenticeship routes) who wish to progress to Higher Education.

How this diploma meets learners' needs

The Diploma will provide them with underpinning skills to support academic study and provide a level 3 qualification linked to their proposed HE study. A broad range of knowledge will be acquired which support an understanding of medicine and will ensure that the learner is fully prepared for progression onto the relevant degrees.

What this diploma covers

The units include a balance of units which allow the learners to keep their options open until they have fully decided on their preferred route at degree level. The ungraded units have been chosen to support both progression into higher education and also to allow the learners to develop skills relevant to the subject area e.g. Drug Calculations and Health Related Charts, Professional Behaviours for Medical Practitioners and Study Skills for Higher Education.

Delivery methods

Face to face
Blended learning
Project, exam, practical investigation, report, annotated diagram, experiment, graphs and charts, short answer questions, written assignment. Some of the exam questions should be multiple choice questions to reflect the mode of assessment in higher education.

Professional Behaviours – As well as having an understanding of professional behaviours, Higher Education providers will expect students to demonstrate these behaviours.

Progression routes

• Bachelor of Medical Sciences with Hons Medicine
• BSc (Hons) Applied Medical Sciences
• BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences
• BSc (Hons) Biology
• BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science
• BSc (Hons) Biomedicine
• BSc (Hons) Bioscience
• BSc (Hons) Chemistry
• BSc (Hons) Healthcare Science (Cardiac Physiology)
• BSc (Hons) Healthcare Science (Life Sciences)
• BSc (Hons) Medical Biochemistry
• BSc (Hons) Medical Sciences
• BSc (Hons) Natural Sciences
• MBChB Medicine
• BVetMed Veterinary Medicine

Progression & entry requirements

It is recommended that learners should have achieved GCSE Maths and English at Grade 6. Science at Grade 4 is desirable.

Provider approval criteria

Access to a laboratory will be required for practical assessments.

Funding information

There are now two main sources for funding information, a straightforward ESFA Qualification Search and the more detailed Find a Learning Aim website.

The new Find a learning aim (FALA) service provides a search tool that you can use to check the funding status of any qualification, framework, unit, standard or T Level:

View this qualification on the ESFA’s Find a learning aim website

The Education and Skills Funding Agency search provides funding information on qualifications. It does not provide funding information for units, non-regulated activity and work placements, for this information please use Find a learning aim (FALA).

View this qualification on the ESFA Qualification Funding Search

How to find a learning aim

If you’re not sure how to use the new find a learning aim website, we’ve created a handy walkthrough to help you:

How to Use: Find a learning Aim

Additional funding information for Access to HE

  • Access to HE is eligible for funding as part of the legal entitlement offer.
  • Access to HE is eligible for funding via Advanced Learner Loans and appears on the Advanced Learner Loans catalogues published by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
  • Access to HE Diplomas are designed for adult learners aged 19+ and the ESFA only funds young people on these programmes by exception, as stated in paragraph 149, page 39 of the Funding guidance for young people 2020 to 2021.

We have done our best to collate and summarise the key information, and wherever possible we alert our providers to changes in funding policy.

This funding information is provided in good faith and it is always advisable to check directly with the funding agencies before committing to delivery.

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