What is the University of Sunderland Medicine Summer School?
The Medicine Summer School 2023 will take place on campus at the University of Sunderland from Wednesday 5 July 9am to Friday 7 July 3pm 2023. It will be primarily based at our City Campus, SR1 3SD. The Medicine Summer School aims to equip students with the skills that will assist them in their application and interview for entry onto the Medicine MBChB course at the University of Sunderland. The Medicine Summer School will consist of academic subject taster sessions, group and social engagement activities.
Who is the Medicine Summer School for?
The Medicine Summer School is for Year 12 students, primarily targeted at groups currently underrepresented in Higher Education (who meet the University of Sunderland’s Widening Participation Criteria, as described below). We will however welcome applications from all Year 12 students, and each application will be assessed on an individual basis.
Who is eligible?
All eligible students must:
- Be a resident in the United Kingdom
- Have a Home Student fee status. The Government classes all students as ‘Home’, ‘European Union (EU)’ or ‘International’. If you are classed as EU or International, then you are not eligible to apply to the Online Medicine Summer School
- Be a Year 12 student at College or Sixth Form. We will consider Year 13 students who have not applied to university and are taking a gap year.
- Meet our academic requirements (see academic requirement information below)
How to apply
You can apply for the Medicine Summer School from Monday 3 April 2023, and the deadline to apply is 12 noon Thursday 18 May 2023. The online application form will be available on the Medicine Summer School webpage.
How will the University of Sunderland decide who attends Medicine Summer School?
Places at the Medicine Summer School are limited and will be awarded based on the responses given on the application form. Each application form will be assessed on an individual basis, and places will be awarded at the discretion of the University.
The deadline to apply to the Medicine Summer School is 12 noon Thursday 18 May 2023. Applications received after this date and time will not be considered. We will contact applicants to confirm the outcome of their application week commencing 29 May 2023.
Priority will be given to applicants in the following order:
- Those that meet two or more of the University of Sunderland’s Widening Participation Criteria and live in the North East of England or Cumbria
- Those that live in the North East of England or Cumbria
- Those that meet two or more of the University of Sunderland’s Widening Participation Criteria and live elsewhere in the United Kingdom
- Those that meet at least one of the University of Sunderland’s Widening Participation Criteria and live elsewhere in the United Kingdom
- All other eligible students
Please note the University’s decision to allocate a place is final.
Guaranteed Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)
The School of Medicine will guarantee a Multiple Mini Interview to those students that are applicants of the Medicine MBChB course who:
- Meet two or more of the University of Sunderland’s Widening Participation Criteria categories for underrepresented student groups
- Attend all compulsory elements of the Medicine Summer School
- Meet the GCSE, A Level and UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test) requirements
- Complete the interview selection tool
The guaranteed Multiple Mini Interview will be applied following the receipt of an application for the 2024 intake of the Medicine MBChB course at the University of Sunderland and will be subject to academic screening and UCAT test scores meeting our requirements.
The University will assess all Summer School application forms and will inform students if they meet the criteria to be eligible for a Guaranteed Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), providing that they attend all compulsory elements of the summer school. All students who meet the criteria to be eligible for the guaranteed MMI will be notified about this before the summer school starts.
Please note only students who meet two or more of the University of Sunderland’s Widening Participation Criteria of underrepresented student groups are eligible for a Guaranteed Multiple Mini Interview (MMI).
What is the University of Sunderland’s criteria for underrepresented students?
An individual or household’s social and economic position can be represented through indicators such as income, education, occupation and how this compares to others. Students from more advantaged backgrounds often benefit from more effective information from schools, parents/supporters and broader networks. Students from more disadvantaged backgrounds, who may not have the same support at home and through their networks, are less likely to have access to effective information and guidance. Universities are encouraged to consider a variety of measures and indicators to develop an understanding of underrepresentation in their own context. These groups can relate (but are not limited) to:
Underrepresented groups as identified by the University of Sunderland and defined by The Office for Students:
- students from areas of low higher education participation, low household income or low socioeconomic status
- some black, Asian and minority ethnic students
- disabled students
- care leavers
- carers
- people estranged from their families
- people from Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showman and Boater communities
- refugees
- children from military families.
Please visit the Office for Students website for more information.
How will the Guaranteed Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) work?
When you submit your UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) application form to study the Medicine MBChB course at the University of Sunderland, assuming you have met our academic screening and a satisfactory UCAT score, our Student Administration Team will send you information on how to complete an online interview selection tool. You still need to complete this assessment as preparation for your interview, but you will be guaranteed to progress to Multiple Mini Interview.
You must complete the Medicine Summer School and meet two or more of the University of Sunderland’s Widening Participation Criteria for underrepresented groups to be eligible for the guaranteed MMI. This information will be sent to our Student Administration team who will then be able to flag the guaranteed interview on your application if you apply to Sunderland for Medicine.
Please note the information on how the guaranteed multiple mini interview will work is accurate at the time these guidance notes are published. The university reserve the right to change the application process for the Medicine MBChB course, in which case the process for the guaranteed multiple mini interview may change. If the process does change the university will be in touch with all students who are eligible for the guaranteed multiple mini interview to outline these changes and any new requirements.
Student Accommodation
All students who are allocated a place on the summer school can stay in university managed student accommodation on Wednesday 5 July and Thursday 6 July. Students will automatically be allocated a room in mixed gender flats with shared facilities such as a kitchen, toilets and showers. Each individual room is lockable by key and have their own sink and storage space. Once summer school places have been allocated students can opt out of staying in student accommodation or express any individual needs. More information about student accommodation will be provided to those who are offered a place, after the application deadline.
The application form
The Medicine Summer School application form will ask you to provide information about you, your studies and your background. This information will help the University determine if you are eligible for the Medicine Summer School and if you meet any of the University of Sunderland’s Widening Participation Criteria definitions of under-represented groups. You must provide accurate information and be able to provide evidence if required.
Academic requirements
To be considered for the Medicine Summer School, you must meet our academic requirements:
- GCSEs – five subjects at grade A/7, with a minimum of grade B/6 in Maths, English Language, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (Dual Award Science is Accepted)
- A Levels – in three subjects achieved within a single sitting, including Biology or Chemistry, plus another designated science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths/Further Maths/Statistics). Only one subject from a combination of Maths, Further Maths and Statistics will be considered from the three A Levels.
We will also consider the following applicants who are working towards the following qualifications:
- Scottish Qualifications National 5 – a minimum of 5 subjects at grade A with a minimum of grade B in Maths, English, Biology, Chemistry and Physics
- Higher – minimum AAAAB, including Chemistry/Biology plus a second science both at A, to be achieved by the end of S5 (i.e. before applying)
- Advanced Higher – minimum of AB from two subjects (both sciences) sat in S6. Any additional subject sat at Higher level in S6 must be achieved at grade B or higher
- Any science subject not being offered at Higher or Advanced Higher level must have been passed at Standard/National 5 grade B/2
Qualifications not accepted for Medicine:
- BTEC qualifications
- Foundation Medicine Courses or Access to Medicine Courses
- Irish Leaving Certificate
For a full list of entry requirements please click here.
Further information about you
We are passionate about ensuring fair access for all students, regardless of background and we are particularly interested in attracting students from groups which are currently underrepresented in Higher Education. We are using criteria based on the Office for Students definition of underrepresented students during the Application Screening Process, so in the Medicine Summer School application form, we ask you to select characteristics which apply to you. The characteristics are explained as follows:
- You have been in the care of a Local Authority - At the University of Sunderland we deem a care experienced student as any student who has spent 13 weeks or more in the care of the local authority (e.g. foster care or children’s home) between their 14th and 16th birthday, were privately fostered until the age of 16 or who were ‘looked after’ until they were subject of a Special Guardianship Order.
- You are a carer - Carers are included as an underrepresented group (please see University of Sunderland’s Widening Participation Criteria). A carer is anyone who cares, unpaid, for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without their support. (source: Carers Trust)
- Either/both of your parents are/have been in the military - Children of military families are included as an underrepresented group in the University of Sunderland’s Widening Participation Criteria. You would be a child of a military family if either of your parents are/have been in the armed forces (e.g. Naval Service, Royal Navy, Royal Marines, British Army, Royal Air Force).
- You are a refugee - Refugees are people who have settled in the UK and have been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK.
- You are an estranged student - The term ‘estranged student’ is used to refer to students who are irreconcilably estranged and are studying without the support of a family network. ‘Irreconcilably estranged’ means: You have had no contact at all with both of your parents/carers for at least 12 months and this is unlikely to change, or you can demonstrate on other grounds that you are estranged from your parents/carers, for example in exceptional circumstances. Please note, you will not be considered estranged on the basis that you live separately from your parents, have recently fallen out with your parents, or your parents are unwilling to complete income assessment forms or contribute towards your student finance.
- Household Income and Parents’ Education Level- We ask you about your household income and your parents’ education level, so we can establish whether you meet one of the underrepresented groups: “Students from areas of low higher education participation, low household income and/or low socioeconomic status”.
Regulations, policies and procedures
Medicine Summer School participants must adhere to the Medicine Summer School declaration which includes Health and Safety, Photography and Video Permission and Code of Conduct as outlined below.
Please ensure you read and understand the information below.
Note: If you are under 18 on the first day of the Medicine Summer School (5 July 2023) a parent/carer should also read this information before completing their section of the application form to give their consent for you to attend.
Health and Safety
During the Medicine Summer School, you will take part in a variety of activities including lectures, workshops and lab sessions. Throughout the summer school you will have the opportunity to engage with fellow students and your future lecturers. None of your personal details will be shared with other summer school attendees without your consent and you are encouraged to share your first name only. The University will put in place protocols to ensure you are safe whilst attending any of the sessions throughout the summer school.
Photography and video permission
Students must not take photographs or video footage of any of the sessions throughout the Medicine Summer School. The University can accept no responsibility for photography or films taken by students on their individual mobile phones or cameras.
There may be an official photography/videographer commissioned by the University of Sunderland during the Medicine Summer School to take pictures of activities and students. University of Sunderland reserves the right to use photographs in which you appear, or images provided by you, to help illustrate the Medicine Summer School at the University. This also applies if you do not register as a student at University of Sunderland.
The University will only take photos of those students who we have gained consent from.
Code of Conduct
During Summer School, students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner which does not cause risk, distress, or fear to others, or hinder the University's proper operation or damage its reputation.
Examples of misconduct include:
- Disruption of academic, administrative, sporting, social or other activities of the University.
- Sexual, racial, physical, or other harassment, or behaviour which causes fear or distress to others; threatening, abusive, disorderly or unreasonable behaviour; behaviour which contravenes the University's principles of dignity and respect is a form of harassment or bullying.
- Behaviour which interferes with freedom of speech, thought, action or enquiry of any other student or member of staff or lawful visitor to the University.
- Attending any summer school timetabled activity whilst under the influence of alcohol.
- Fraud, deceit, deception, dishonesty or misappropriation of university funds or assets, misuse or falsification of any records or documents held by the University, its staff, students or visitors, or any improper access to, transmission, use, or disclosure of computerised or other data held by the University or accessible through university equipment or networks.
- Conduct which constitutes a criminal offence, including the use or possession of illegal substances, or the consumption of alcohol by those who are underage, where that conduct -
- took place on or in the vicinity of university premises, or
- affected or concerned other members of the University, or
- damages or threatens the reputation of the University, or
- is an offence of dishonesty, where a student holds an office of responsibility within the University.
- Damage to, or wrongful treatment of, the property or equipment of the University or any of its staff, students or visitors, or any action likely to cause injury to any person or impairing the health and safety of the premises or its occupants, or contravening University policies on Health Safety and the Environment
- Action or omission which could cause loss, damage or injury or put others at risk.
- A breach of any University Rules Regulations Codes of Conduct or Procedures, or any failure to comply with any ruling made because of disciplinary proceedings, whether formal or informal.
If you are staying in university accommodation you will also have a separate Accommodation Code of Conduct in your welcome pack. When you collect your key, you must sign to say you have read and accept this code of conduct.
We want you to have the best possible experience and here are the things you can do to help ensure that you do:
Engagement—with your academic programme, academic staff and other students
Participation—in lectures, tutorials, seminars, and other aspects of university life, including social activities
Cooperation—with academic, administrative, and technical staff, to ensure we work together for your benefit
Communication—with us so we can help improve your experience
For the purpose of Medicine Summer School, we would highlight the following documents and where appropriate have indicated relevant sections within them. This is in addition to several University regulations, procedures, policies and information:
University of Sunderland IT Acceptable Use Policy –
Dignity, Respect and Keeping Everyone Safe -
All participants of the Medicine Summer School are expected to act responsibly and show consideration to others in line with the Code of Conduct. Every effort has been made to ensure that all details included in these Terms and Conditions are correct at the time publishing. They are intended to act as an information source for potential Summer School students and in no way should they be considered to be legally binding or guarantee a place on the Summer School. The University will not be deemed to be in breach of any Terms and Conditions due to changes to eligibility criteria beyond the reasonable control of the University. It should therefore be noted that these Guidance Notes are regularly reviewed and are naturally subject to change from time to time, sometimes without notice. The University’s decision is final.
When signing up to and attending Summer School you have agreed to abide by the University’s Code of Conduct. If you do not abide by the Code of Conduct, you may be asked to leave the summer school.
Published: 5 April 2023