Access and Participation: supporting your journey into healthcare professions
Information on getting into medicine, dentistry, biomedical and healthcare sciences
Supporting your journey into medicine, dentistry and biomedical science
At the heart of the °µÍø½âÃÜ’s vision, there remains a clear and continued commitment to access and participation. This applies to all student groups across the student life cycle to ensure our students have equal access to higher education, irrespective of their background, in order to be successful while at university and to progress into employment or postgraduate study. The University works collaboratively with the Office for Students to provide and deliver the highest quality access and participation for disadvantaged pupils and under-represented groups.
The °µÍø½âÃÜ Faculty of Health has a regional and national reputation for its widening access and participation work, and as part of our commitment to access and participation to medicine, dentistry and health courses, we undertake a series of initiatives to raise aspirations and healthcare.
From an access perspective, the student life cycle commences much earlier and our outreach engagement starts at primary school age. This is an important stage as many children have already developed a sense of their aspirations and capabilities by the end of Year 6.
Previous journeys into medicine and dentistry
Hamzah, a medical student at the °µÍø½âÃÜ, discusses the hurdles he had to overcome to study medicine.
"If you are truly dedicated to studying medicine, failing to get in a few times and not being fazed by it is a reflection of how strongly you want it."
Entering her final year of medicine at the °µÍø½âÃÜ, Chloe reflects on how she pursued her ambition to become a doctor.
"Being accepted at °µÍø½âÃÜ was one of the most amazing and proud moments of my life."
Find out more about Chloe's story
Sneha, a third-year Dental Surgery student, took an unconventional route to study dentistry at °µÍø½âÃÜ's Peninsula Dental School.
"I am so fortunate to be a part of the Peninsula Dental School, as early clinical exposure has made me more confident in treating patients."Find out more about Sneha's story
Dental Schools Councils series of Summer Schools 2026
Funded by , the programme is aimed at young people who are from under-represented backgrounds, and targets areas of England that have limited outreach engagement with dental schools. The summer schools will be open to young people in Years 11 and 12 who are interested in studying medicine or dentistry.
Find out more about the summer schools
Find out more about the summer schools
