leeds guidance
TRANSCRIPT
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MBChB Student Admissions.
Guidance on Policy for 2012This document will form the basis of our Admissions Policy for entry in2012 but as the policy has not yet been formally approved by the Schoolor University, please use it for guidance only and contact the AdmissionDepartment if you have any uncertainty as to our processes. Our web sitewill be updated shortly with the official policy.
School of MedicineACULTY OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH
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CONTENTS
1. Introduction
1.1 Principles
1.2 Context
1.3 Strategic Framework
1.4 Responsibilities
1.5 Operation of the Policy
2. Information for Applicants
2.1 Selection Principles
2.2 Intake
2.3 Competition for Places
2.4 Application Process2.4.1 UCAS Process
2.4.2 Widening Participation and Alternative Entry Schemes2.4.3 Foundation Programmes
2.4.4 Deferred Applications/Gap Year
2.4.5 Transfers
2.4.6 Applications from Minors and Vulnerable Persons
2.4.7 International/Overseas Students
2.4.8 Mature Students
2.4.9 Part-Time Applicants
2.4.10 Disabled Applicants
2.4.11 Applicants with a Health-Related issue or Other
Mitigating Circumstances
2.4.12. Cashed in AS levels
2.5 Entry Requirements2.5.1 Academic Requirements
2.5.2 Personal Statement
2.5.3 Personal Reference
2.6 Acknowledgement of Applications and Communication ofOutcome
2.7 Unsuccessful Applicants
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2.8 Complaints and Appeals
3. How Applications are Considered
3.1 Fair Admissions
3.2 The Selection Process
3.3 Interviews
3.4 Assessing Applications
3.5 Offers
3.6 Information for Applicants in Specific Circumstances3.6.1 Applicants who have faced exceptional circumstances
3.6.2 Resits/Reapplications
3.6.3 Withdrawal of an Application
3.7 Closing Dates
3.8 Other Conditions of Admission3.8.1 Health Requirements
3.8.2 Criminal Record Checks
3.9 Fraud, Omission and Plagiarism
4. Use of Applicant Data
5. Fees, Funding and Bursaries
6. University Open Days and Other Courses
7. Contact Details and Further Information
APPENDICES
Appendix A. Selection Process Timeline.
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1. Introduction
1.1. Principles
This document outlines the School of Medicine Admissions Policy for 2012 entry to the
MB ChB Medicine course programme. It incorporates the Universitys vision of developingoutstanding graduates, advancing and disseminating knowledge and making an impact
on global society, and is aligned with the admissions principles and policies of the
University as outlined in the Universitys Undergraduate Admissions Policy. See:www.leeds.ac.uk/admissionspolicy .
These include: The University of Leeds is a research-intensive institution that creates, advances
and disseminates knowledge. Our aim is to develop outstanding graduates andscholars who can make a major impact upon global society.
The University of Leeds is shaped by the values of academic excellence,
community, professionalism, integrity and inclusiveness. The setting of highadmissions standards plays a key role in maintaining academic excellence.
The University of Leeds is committed to providing a professional admissions service
and to provide clear, fair and consistently applied policies and procedures. TheUniversity aims to provide fair and equal access to all prospective students who
have the potential to benefit from and contribute to the academic life at a
research-intensive university.
The University recognizes that, in order to provide fair and equal access to all
prospective students, it may need to demonstrate a flexible approach and, whereappropriate make adjustments for individual applicants - for example, disabled
applicants or applicants who have faced exceptional circumstances.
1.2 Context
The Universitys admissions policies are consistent with the Quality Assurance AgencysCode of Practice on Recruitment and Admissions and comply with current law affecting
the admission of students. Admissions policies and practice are also guided by the
principles articulated within the Schwartz Report of the Admissions to Higher EducationSteering Group 2004 (available at www.admissions-review.org.uk/)
1.3 Strategic Framework
Admissions activities are undertaken as a partnership between various parties within theUniversity:
The central Undergraduate Admissions Office coordinates the admissions
process for students applying through UCAS and liaises directly with UCAS. The School of Medicine Undergraduate Admissions section.
Determines entry criteria and selection procedures. Provides accurate and relevant information for applicants and prospective
applicants.
Assesses applications and makes offers.
Communicates directly with applicants during the admissions process. Runs departmental, and participates in University wide, Open Days.
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Assists in reasonable local adjustments aimed at ensuring that applicants with
specific needs have full access to the admissions process and the course
programme. Monitors the Schools admissions procedures and practices.
Reports to the Schools Learning and Teaching Committee, the Faculty Widening
Participation Committee and the School of Medicine Executive Committee.
This policy has been formulated with specific attention to guidelines and advice for goodpractice as outlined by the Supporting Professionalism in Admissions (SPA), the Quality
Assurance Agency in Higher Education (QAA) and the Admissions to Higher Education
Steering Group report Fair admissions to higher education: recommendations for goodpractice.
Every effort has been made to ensure this policy complies with the Universitys legal andstatutory obligations in relation to, amongst others, equality and diversity.
1.4 Responsibilities
The School of Medicine Admissions Section is responsible for the Policy and ensuring it isreviewed annually to best serve the University and applicants.
The School of Medicine Undergraduate Admissions Sections consists of:
Director of MBChB Admissions
Deputy Director of MBChB Admissions
Associate Sub-Deans for MBChB Admissions who have specific responsibility in thefollowing areas:
o Widening Participation
o International Foundation Year and International Office
o Mature/Graduate Applicants
o Admissions Administrator
o Admissions Support Staffo WAMS (Widening Admissions to Medical School) admin support
All members of the Admissions Section are required to be familiar with the Policy andwith other relevant University policies. We recognize that a competent, productive and
competent team requires adequate guidance, training and support; this is provided by
the School and University.
1.5 Operation of the Policy
The Director of MBChB Admissions is responsible for monitoring the day-to-day operation
of the policy. The Admissions section reports via the MBChB Sub-Committee of SSTEC(School Student Taught Education Committee, chaired by the School Director of Student
Education) to the School of Medicine Executive Committee, chaired by the Dean.
2. Information for applicants
2.1 Selection Principles
The University of Leeds endeavours to ensure that the selection process provides equal
consideration for applicants who apply by the relevant closing date. All selection decisions
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are made on the basis of merit and the ability of each applicant to meet the academic
and non-academic criteria for admission to the relevant programme of study. The
selection criteria will treat all students fairly and will not discriminate unlawfully becauseof marital or civil partnership status, gender, gender re-assignment or transsexual
status, race (including colour, nationality, national origin or ethnic origin) disability,
pregnancy and/or parental status, sexual orientation, age, religion or belief, political orother opinion, social origin, association with a national minority, property, birth or other
status.
2.2 Intake
Government (HEFCE and SIFT) funding currently allows an intake of 243 students. This is
comprised of: (i) 203 home students, including mature students and those from theEuropean Union; (ii) a government quota of 20 international student places. Students in
these places are required to pay the full fee rate; and (iii) 20 places that are available to
students transferring from the University of Bradford Foundation in Clinical Sciences and
the BSc in Clinical Sciences.
2.3 Competition for places
The MBChB course is very popular and for 2011 entry we received in excess of 3,600
applications (around 16 applications for each of the 243 places available). Most of ourapplicants have an excellent academic record, typically offering AAA at A2 Level and a
good range of subjects at GCSE.
2.4 Application process
2.4.1 UCAS process
All full time undergraduate applications must be made through the online Universities
and Colleges Admissions Service (www.ucas.com) by 15th October in the year precedingentry (for example for entry to the programme in September 2012, the UCAS deadline is
October 15th 2011).
The School of Medicine will not normally accept applications after the initial UCAS closing
date and does notnormally participate in the UCAS Extra scheme.
2.4.2 Widening Participation and Alternative Entry Schemes
We are committed to identifying all applicants who have the potential to succeed.
Applicants who have experienced disadvantage will be flagged to the Schools admissions
tutors through the Access to Leeds scheme, using a combination of educational context,social factors and personal circumstances. Admissions tutors can then assess the Access
to Leeds applicants potential using the contextual evidence, and, if approved, studentsthat receive an offer will receive an alternative offer alongside their standard offer. The
alternative offer will be the equivalent of two A Level grades below their standard offer,
conditional upon successfully completing the Access to Leeds module and making the
University of Leeds their firm choice. Access to Leeds students will be eligible for anAccess to Leeds offer if they meet the Universitys GCSE matriculation standard and, for
courses which require particular subject skills, have gained at least a grade C (or
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equivalent) in the requested subject area. For more information on Access to Leeds
please refer to www.leeds.ac.uk/ace/PS/A2L.html.
The University offers a range of financial support to able students from less affluent
backgrounds to ensure they are not deterred from progressing to higher education
because of financial reasons. We offer comprehensive financial support to help with thecosts of studying. Support from us does not have to be repaid. Further details can be
found on our website at www.leeds.ac.uk/yourfinances.
Apart from the Access to Leeds scheme, several other schemes do exist that endeavor to
support students from disadvantaged backgrounds: (i) Realising Opportunities scheme(www.realisingopportunities.ac.uk ) and (ii) the Sutton Trust Academic Routes (STAR) for
promising Year 11 student from low-income backgrounds. Students who apply to Leeds
and have successfully completed the course elements of both of these programmesreceive special consideration.
2.4.3 Foundation Programmes
The School offers two alternative entry routes for standard applications. Up to 20students are admitted via the University of Bradford course; Foundation in Clinical
Sciences (at the beginning of the first year), and 20 more from the Clinical Sciences BSc
course (at the beginning of second year). Further information on the Bradford coursescan be obtained from: Ms A Diston, Widening Access, Clinical Sciences, School of Life
Sciences, University of Bradford, Richmond Road, Bradford, BD7 1DP, Email:
[email protected]; URL: www.brad.ac.uk/acad/lifesci/clinical/.
A separate Foundation Year is run at the University of Leeds as part of the
Interdisciplinary Science Foundation Programme (CFGO). This full time one-year course
enables students who may have been disadvantaged in their preparation for tertiaryeducation to prepare for degree level study and gain the necessary academic competencerequired for entry the to the degree programme. Students who successfully complete the
foundation year can progress to year 1 of a degree course. Applicants should apply
through UCAS. Admission to the MBChB is not guaranteed for students who havecompleted the foundation year and all candidates are selected through our normal
selection process. Further information is available from
www.leeds.ac.uk/lifelonglearningcentre/programmes/int_dis_science.html .
Note that applicants to the Foundation Year programme must apply directly to the
University (not through UCAS) and must choose Medicine as the undergraduate degreeprogramme they wish to join at the time of applying and cannot change during their
Foundation Year to Medicine as their choice. Further information about the InternationalFoundation Year and a downloadable application form can be found at
www.leeds.ac.uk/international/foundation.htm .Applications may also be made directly to
the University online at www.leeds.ac.uk/international/foundation_how_to_apply.htm .
2.4.4 Deferred Applications/Gap Year
The School of Medicine welcomes applications from students who wish to spend time
gaining experience of work, voluntary service or travel after leaving school or college. We
encourage such applicants to make use of the personal statement section of the UCASapplication form to explain their reasons for taking a Gap Year. Applicants who take a
Gap Year should be aware that they would still be required to attend an interview to be
admitted.
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2.4.5 Transfers
We accept transfers from other UK undergraduate medical degree courses only inexceptional circumstances. We review each on a case-by-case basis, both in relation to
the transfer and what level entry is permitted into the course. We do not consider
requests for transfers from students presently studying other degree courses with thesole exception of the entry route through the BSc in Clinical Sciences at University of
Bradford (a joint initiative between the Universities of Leeds and Bradford). Applications
from candidates who have transferred to the University of Bradford BSc in ClinicalSciences from another medical course will not be considered.
2.4.6 Applications from Minors and Vulnerable Persons
The University recognises that in some cases careful consideration may need to be given
to someones age or position as a vulnerable adult when applying for certain
programmes.The University of Leeds Undergraduate Admissions Policy details our policyon dealing with applications from minors and vulnerable persons.
2.4.7 International/Overseas Students
The School of Medicinewelcomes applications from applicants studying a range of Level 3qualifications where students have the potential to succeed on their chosen degree
course. Please seeSection 3 for the programme list of entry requirements and accepted
qualifications. All applications from international students are considered in line with ourstandard entrance requirements (expressed as English A-level qualifications) and we
would expect predicted grades to be of an equivalent level. Proof of English Language
proficiency will be required. For medicine we require at least English GCSE grade B orIELTS 7.5 (including 7.5 in spoken English). Further information for prospective
international applicants can be found on our website(http://www.leeds.ac.uk/international/).
2.4.8 Mature Students
The School of Medicine welcomes applications from mature applicants and support is
available through the Lifelong Learning Centre (LLC). This support includes pre-entryadvice and guidance for adults, matriculation tests, alternative entry schemes, and
preparatory programmes for adults, developing academic skills before entry, as well as
information on a range of issues relevant to such applicants. For further details, contact:[email protected], phone 0113 343 3212 or see
www.leeds.ac.uk/lifelonglearningcentre .
2.4.9 Part-Time Applicants
Due to the nature of the MBChB programme, we regret that we are unable to accept
applications from students wishing to study part-time.
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2.4.10 Disabled Applicants
The School of Medicine acknowledges that disabled people add value to the student bodyand the medical profession and welcomes applications from disabled people1. The
University will make reasonable adjustments to help ensure that disabled applicants have
full and equal access to our admissions procedures and courses. The judgment about anindividual applicants academic suitability will be kept separate from any consideration of
the applicants disability-related support requirements.
Applicants are invited to indicate their disability status on their application form and we
strongly encourage applicants to disclose any disability. Where candidates choose not todisclose their disability this may make it more difficult, or in some cases impossible, for
the University to make adjustments. Disabled applicants are also advised to contact the
Universitys Disability Team (part of the Universitys Equality Service) once an application
has been submitted through UCAS, to discuss any support requirements they may havein relation to the programme for which they have applied.
If any applicant feels that their disability has meant that they faced exceptional
circumstances that should be taken into account by the University when considering their
application, they should refer to section 4.12 of The Universitys Undergraduateadmissions policy (www.leeds.ac.uk/admissionspolicy ).
The admissions process is covered by the Universitys Policy on Equality and Diversity,
which is available from the University's Equality Service at www.equality.leeds.ac.uk . We
strive to adhere to the GMCs Gateways Guidance on this issue (www.gmc-uk.org/education/undergraduate/gateways_guidance.asp ).
2.4.11 Applicants with a health-related issue or other mitigatingcircumstances
The University of Leeds Undergraduate Admissions Policy details our policy concerning
applicants with a health related issue. The School sees health-related issues2 as being
distinct from disability-related issues, although, of course, in some cases, a disabledapplicant may also have a health-related issue.
Applicants with a health-related issue should contact the School as soon as possible iftheir health is likely to impact on their ability to engage with the admissions process.
If a candidate feels that their prior ill health or personal circumstances (for examplebereavement or other difficult home or family circumstances) may have affected their
pre-medical studies or the grades they received, we advise that they bring this to the
1 The University is committed to the social model of disability and in line with the definition underthe Equality Act 2010 defines a disabled person as someone with a physical or mental impairment
which is long-term (lasting 12 months or more) and which has a substantial impact of that personsability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. The definition of disability includes long-term
medical conditions such as cancer (from the point of diagnosis), epilepsy, diabetes, Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome/ME and HIV/AIDS amongst others.
2 In contrast with disability issues, health issues are generally shorter-term (lasting less than 12months) and have a less significant impact on a persons ability to carry out normal day-to-day
activities.
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attention of their school or college. The school or college can then inform the appropriate
examinations board(s) to highlight these circumstances for consideration when awarding
the final grade of a qualification. On this basis, we expect that the examinations board(s)would already have taken into account mitigating circumstances when awarding grades
and hence any grades in a qualification would have already been moderated
appropriately.
Mitigating circumstances presented in retrospect after examinations have been taken willnot normally be considered. Any formal request for mitigating circumstances to be taken
into account in the admissions process should be supported by a full declaration about
the nature of the circumstances and whether or not these were declared to the examboard of the qualifications concerned. This declaration should be made either by a
verified statement in the initial UCAS application or by sending verified documentation
from the referee directly to Admissions.
2.4.12. Cashed in AS levels
AS level results are not considered as part of our selection process. However, the
University is encouraging applicants to declare their cashed in AS results to build up abank of data to use for further studies on the value of AS results in the selection process.
Thus, all applicants are encouraged to declare their cashed in AS results. Note that
failure to do so will not bias your application in any way.
2.5 Entry Requirements
2.5.1 Academic Requirements
For a full list of our up-to-date entry requirements and acceptable academic
qualifications, please see our web page at
www.leeds.ac.uk/medicine/admissions/index.html .
All applicants must offer the following:
A. GCSE Subjects
We expect candidates to have obtained a substantial number of GCSE passes, at a high
standard. At least 6 grade Bs must be offered including the following:
English
Maths
Dual Science/Double Science, or Chemistry and Biology
B. A2 Subjects (or equivalent)
For School Leavers:
AAA including Chemistry.General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted. There is no other restriction on
subjects accepted.
Certain combinations are not acceptable. Specifically:
Chemistry with Biology and Human Biology Chemistry with Maths and Further Maths
Those taking a fourth A2 subject will not be at an advantage over those taking three.
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Other Qualifications considered in place of A2s:
14-19
AdvancedDiploma
Grade A overall in Society, Health and Development plus a
minimum grade A in A2 Chemistry
BTEC Higher National Diploma in Science with high level of distinctions
Cambridge Pre-U
Three Distinctions (D3) in 3 Principal subjects, one of which mustbe Chemistry.
European
Baccalaureate
Total score of 85% with minimum of 8 in Chemistry.
InternationalBaccalaureate
Overall score of 36 points with a mark of 6 in 3 Higher Levelsubjects one of which must be Chemistry. Two subjects from
Biology, Maths and Physics must also be offered at either Higher orStandard Level if not offered at GCSE. If English not offered at
GCSE, this must be offered with a mark of at least 5 at Standard
level
Irish Leaving
Certificate
AAAAAA, including Chemistry, and two subjects from Biology,
Maths and Physics
ScottishHighers
AAAAB at Higher including Biology, and AB at Advanced Higher,including A in Chemistry
Welsh
Baccalaureate
Students should pass Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma
including Chemistry A2 plus one other A2 (excluding GeneralStudies and Critical Thinking) with grades of AA
Plus for Graduate/Mature Applicants:
Degrees A pass at 2i or higher in a science or medically related subjectis acceptable in place of A2 examinations.
Those graduates offering a non-science degree will needrelevant A levels as detailed above or an approved access to
medicine course (see under mature).
For applicants not offering Chemistry grade B at A2, evidence
must be provided that they have studied Chemistry to this
level. This can be: Approved courses from the Open University
A minimum of at least one year of university chemistry
An Access to Medicine Course
Dentists Entry to the 3rd year of the course may be possible for
dentists, who meet the following criteria when places are
available:
Have gained a registered qualification with the General
Dental Council
Have obtained Parts A and B of the Final part of theMFDS or Part 1 of the MJDF
Have been in an approved hospital post for at least oneyear
Non-graduate
matureapplicants or
graduates with
an Arts degree
A2s and GCSEs as given above or one of the following Access
courses with an overall mark of 70% with at least 70% inChemistry:
City College, Norwich
College of West Anglia, Kings Lynn Sussex Downs Adult College
Graduates who have undertaken Access to Medicine courses
would be expected to offer at least a 2i class of degree
A partly completed degree course is not acceptable in lieu of any of the above.
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Foundation courses accepted:
Foundation in Clinical Sciences, University of Bradford: Successful completion (entry intoYear 1).
Clinical Sciences BSc course, University of Bradford: Successful completion of Year 1(entry into Year 2).
Interdisciplinary Science Foundation Programme (CFGO): Successful completion of the
year with an overall score of at least 70% and a minimum score of 70% in Chemistry 1
and 2.
C. UKCAT (UK Clinical Aptitude Test)
Candidates applying to Medicine at Leeds will be required to take the UK Clinical AptitudeTest (UKCAT). The test must be taken between June September 2011 for applicants
applying for entry in October 2012. Further details are available on the UKCAT website
(www.ukcat.ac.uk). The scores will be scrutinised when selectors consider the rest of the
application alongside the personal statement, academic background and refereesstatement. There is no predetermined cut-off point.
Overseas applicants:Demonstration of proficiency in English is required for non-native English speakers.
Qualifications in lieu of GCSE English grade B can be one of the following:
Cambridge Proficiency
of English
Grade B
IELTS 7.5 including 7.5 in Spoken English
TOEFL Internet-based (iBT) minimum of 26 in each
component. Computer based 260. Paper based 620.
Entrance requirements may be reviewed and amended at the end of an admissions cyclebased on the performance of the previous years cohort.
2.5.2 Personal Statement
The Personal Statement in the UCAS form helps us to assess the nature of the applicantsinterest in the academic subject. It is an important part of the selection process and is
used not only during selection for interview but is likely to be explored during the
interview itself.
There are many sources of information to help you to write your personal statement,
these include:UCAS: www.ucas.com/students/applying/howtoapply/personalstatement/
Widening Access to Medical School: www.wanttobeadoctor.co.uk/main.php?page=6
The School of Medicine has also produced some guidance on writing a Personal
Statement. This is available at the Open Days and through the School of Medicine website.
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2.5.3 Personal Reference
We do take account of the personal reference given on the UCAS form when assessingapplicants. Please work with your referee when they are writing your reference to ensure
they include as much appropriate information as possible and direct them to the
guidance on the UCAS site (www.ucas.com/advisers/online/references ).
2.6 Acknowledgement of Applications and Communication ofOutcome
Formal responsibility for the acknowledgement of applications and communication of
results rests with UCAS. The volume of applications is such that it is not possible for theAdmissions Team to give any indication as to the outcome of individual applications prior
to receiving notification outside UCAS.Candidates should not be concerned if they do not
hear from the School of Medicine for some time, as the closing date for decisions to be
made by the University and given to UCAS is not until the end of March.
2.7 Unsuccessful Applicants
Applicants will receive an unsuccessful response if the School has decided not to
offer them a place on the programme. Applicants can be unsuccessful for many reasonsand should be aware that the MBChB receives far more applications than the number of
places available. Applicants who are unsuccessful in gaining a place on their chosenprogramme and wish to find out the reason for this should, in the first instance, refer to
the academic and non-academic entry requirements stated in this Admissions Policy.
Unsuccessful applicants may wish to request feedback on the reason for the outcome oftheir application. The candidate will only be given this on request and the feedback givenwill consist only of their scores according to the selection criteria and overall ranking
amongst applicants (i.e. where their score ranks them in percentile amongst the
applicants). It should be noted that we receive over 800 requests for feedback each yearand we do not have the staff capacity to enter into any correspondence once an applicant
is rejected. All requests for feedback must be made in writing by the candidate to the
Director of MBChB Admissions, School of Medicine, room 7.09, Level 7, Worsley Buildingand signed by the applicant, and must include a valid Email address to which the
information can be sent.
2.8 Complaints and Appeals
The School of Medicine will consider all applications fairly and effectively in line with the
procedures outlined in this document and in the University of Leeds UndergraduateAdmissions Policy.
Applicants who wish to challenge a decision to reject their application, if they feel theprocess has not been followed as indicated, should write to the Director of MBChB
Admissions, School of Medicine, Level 7, Worsley Building, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT,
detailing the nature of their complaint. Full details of the complaints procedure can befound in the University of Leeds Undergraduate Admissions Policy
(www.leeds.ac.uk/admissionspolicy ).
On receipt of a complaint, the Director of MBChB Admissions will review the decision to
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reject the applicant. Following review of this decision the Director or nominee will write to
the applicant giving grounds for their decision. Applicants who have complained to the
Director and remain dissatisfied may submit their complaint to the Universitys StudentComplaints Officer. This Officer will not review academic judgments that have been made
but will review matters relating to process. The Universitys Student Complaints Officer
will report the outcomes of any reviews s/he conducts to the Admissions and WideningParticipation Committee.
3. How Applications are Considered
3.1 Fair Admissions
The University recognizes that the admissions process must be fair and thus provide
equal opportunities for all applicants. Our selection process is designed to assess merit
and aims to recruit a diverse student body that reflects the wider community. We
support the principles set out in the Schwartz report 2004 Fair Admissions to HigherEducation: Draft Recommendations for Consultation. Specifically:
1. The selection process must be transparent.
2. The use of valid and reliable assessment methods.
3. Selection to include an assessment of the students likelihood of completing thecourse as judged by their achievements and potential.
4. Minimizing barriers for applicants.5. The selection process is professional in every respect and underpinned by
appropriate structures and policies.
3.2 The Selection Process
The selection process and timeline is summarised in Appendix A. All applications must be
made online through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) at
www.ucas.com. Academic grades normally form only one part of the final decision andwe are looking for applicants who can demonstrate that they have the skills, knowledge
and attributes that we believe will enable them to become a successful student in the
School of Medicine.
Applicants are scored on both academic (GCSE and A level grades or equivalent, and
UKCAT) and non-academic components (personal statement and reference). All scoresare collated and the applicants scoring the highest are invited for interview. The number
of applicants invited for interview is typically around 600. Those applicants not invited forinterview will be rejected at this stage.
3.3 Interviews
Applicants may be invited to interview as part of the selection procedure. Those
candidates short-listed for interview will receive a written invitation from the School toattend an interview on a specific time or date. A questionnaire will also be sent out at
this time asking for further details on work and voluntary placements including contactdetails. Applicants would be asked to let us know as soon as possible if they require an
alternative date using the contact details in the invitation letter. We will do our best to
accommodate such requests but this cannot be guaranteed.
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The interview allows us to further assess the non-academic criteria required, including
your communication skills, and allows us to validate the information on the personal
statement. On the day of interview, applicants will also have the opportunity to lookaround the School of Medicine and meet some of our students. Each applicant will receive
a similarly structured interview. The interview structure may vary as we are presently in
a transition phase from a standard to a multiple mini-interview (MMI) format so theapplicant could receive either of the above. However, all applicants will receive the same
interview type and will be advised in advanced of the format.
The questions and tasks in the interview are designed to gain further insight into
motivation to read medicine, the applicants social awareness, understanding ofresponsibility, and communication skills. Each member of the interview panel
independently scores the applicant based on their performance. The scores will be
collated to achieve an overall rating of the applicant.
3.4 Assessing Applications
The final selection of candidate is based on consideration of the following:
GCSE results or equivalent
A level grades or equivalent
UKCAT result Undergraduate performance where appropriate
Personal Statement
Reference
Interview performance
Performance in Access to Leeds module or other Widening Participation scheme ifapplicable
3.5 Offers
The top-ranked applicants based on our scoring of their UCAS forms are interviewed.
Those interviewees with the best-rated performance in the interview itself will be madean offer of a place. The number of offers made will be calculated in reference to previous
years intake statistics and conversion rates. Any offer is subject to the standardconditions (i.e. entry requirements) outlined in this policy document. Applicants who
narrowly fail to meet the requirements of the offer may still be considered for a place but
because the situation varies from year to year; it is not possible to forecast the likelyoutcome for an individual applicant. This will depend on the availability of places and the
grades actually achieved.
Conditional offer
A conditional offer means that the School of Medicine will offer an applicant a place
providing certain conditions are met. Usually conditions are based on the completion ofoutstanding qualifications e.g. A levels. If other conditions are to apply these will be
brought to the attention of applicants and will include criminal record and health checks.
Conditional offers may state the grades that must be achieved and/or specific grades innamed subjects.
Each offer is specific to an applicants individual qualifications and circumstances.
Applicants must typically meet the conditions set by the University by 31 August of the
application year.
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Unconditional offer
An unconditional offer means that an applicant has met the academic and non-academic
entry requirements but will still be required to meet the health and criminal recordchecks.
3.6 Information for Applicants in Specific Circumstances
3.6.1 Applicants who have faced exceptional circumstances
If any candidate feels that their prior ill-health or personal circumstance other than ill-
health (for example, bereavement, or other difficult home or family circumstances) mayhave affected their previous education, or grades received in past examinations, then
they are welcome to contact the School to discuss this further. Please see Section 2.4.11
for more detail on mitigating circumstances.
3.6.2 Resits/Reapplications
In most cases, we do not accept A levels retakes to improve grades. However, we
acknowledge that there are occasions where due to circumstances at the time the gradesachieved are not an accurate reflection of an applicants true abilities, and in such cases
we may accept the result from a resit of one A2 module for a candidate to whom we have
previously made an offer and who has failed to meet their offer by one A level grade(e.g. AAB instead of AAA). Prior agreement from Admissions is required in such cases.
We will also consider applications from individuals re-sitting exams where there are
exceptional circumstances. Well-supported documentary evidence of any extenuating
circumstances is required and you should use the UCAS form to explain this. This alsoapplies to students who sit their A-levels over 3 or more years (instead of the usual 2).
Again, you will need to provide details on the UCAS form of why you have sat the exams
over a longer period of time.
3.6.3 Withdrawal of an Application
An application may be withdrawn by the applicant or the University. In most cases if the
University withdraws an application the reason will be displayed on UCAS Track. TheUniversity reserves the right to withdraw an offer up to the point at which it has been
accepted by an applicant. In cases where candidates are required to attend an interview
as part of the application process applications may be withdrawn if a candidate fails toattend without making contact with the University, or if an applicant is unable to attend
and an alternative date cannot reasonably be found.
The above does not prejudice the Universitys right to rely upon published disclaimers
relating to delivery of programmes and services.
Applications withdrawn before an offer of interview is made will be considered as a non-
application. If a candidate withdraws twice or more before interview offer, then theAdmissions Committee will decide whether to consider any further applications from the
individual.
Any withdrawal after an offer of interview may result in a further application being
considered as a reapplication and the criteria in the section Applicants wishing to
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reapply would be applicable. If extenuating circumstances apply to such a withdrawal,
the candidate should write to the School outlining the situation.
3.7 Closing Dates
UCAS applications close on October 15th on the year preceding entry. UKCAT tests are
run on a regular basis and the test must be taken before October 7th 2011 for entry in
2012 or deferred entry in 2013. Please consult their website for more information at URL:www.ukcat.ac.uk.
3.8 Other Conditions of Admission
3.8.1 Health Requirements
Any offer of a place to study medicine is conditional upon a satisfactory confidentialoccupational health assessment, which will include a health questionnaire, and ifnecessary further telephone consultation and/or an appointment with an occupational
health clinician. Screening for serious communicable disease, (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C,
HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and a review of immunisation needs will also be arranged beforecommencement of medical studies. Prospective medical students are strongly
recommended to consult the following documents:
1. Medical Students Standards of medical fitness to train:
www.heops.org.uk/HEOPS_Medical_Students_fitness_standards_2011_v5.pdf
2. Department of Health recommendations for immunisation. See Chapter 12.
Immunisation of healthcare and laboratory staff in:www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Immunisation/Greenbook/index.htm
3. Screening requirements for serious communicable diseases in: Medical and DentalStudents: Health clearance for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV and Tuberculosis,
February 2008:
www.medschools.ac.uk/AboutUs/Projects/Documents/Web_Health%20clearance%20for%20medical%20and%20dental%20students.pdf
4. Medical students: professional values and fitness to practice, published by theGMC and the Medical Schools Council (revised in 2009):
www.medschools.ac.uk/Publications/Documents/GMC_MedicalStudents.pdf
The Medical School can arrange an occupational health specialist consultation if
prospective students require advice about the above before making an application. Theschool reserves the right to refuse admission to the medical course to a student on the
basis of health. Applicants should note that the health requirements may be subject to
change.
3.8.2 Criminal Record Checks
The University has a Policy statement on students with criminal records (URL:
www.leeds.ac.uk/AAandR/st_crim_rec.htm . This policy applies to applicants seekingadmission to the MBChB programme. It should be noted that if an applicant is required to
disclose a criminal offence and fails to do so this will generally be considered a veryserious matter and is likely to lead to their application being rejected or, if admitted, to
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their registration at the University being revoked. Having a prior criminal record will not
necessarily prevent an applicant from being offered a place; this may depend, for
example, on the nature, timing and relevance of the criminal offence in question. TheUniversity may request further information about the nature or context of an applicants
criminal record.
On the UCAS application form candidates are expected to indicate in the relevant box if
they have a relevant criminal conviction. All convictions must be disclosed and thisincludes convictions, cautions and fixed penalty notices.
As part of any offer, the School will need to verify whether you have a criminal recordand, if you do, to judge whether it is suitable for you to carry on with the course. For the
vast majority of students who are resident in the UK, the record will be checked via the
Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). Enhanced disclosure will be sought at confirmation time(i.e. when you have met all conditions as stated in your offer). Further information on the
CRB is available on their website at URL: www.crb.homeoffice.gov.uk. The cost for the
enhanced check is 44.3
Due to the nature of the course the University requires that applicants disclose all
information relating to your conviction(s). The University is entitled to this information inaccordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. No
convictions are to be regarded as spent. If anything revealed by the search is regardedas a potential problem, the School will review the matter in accordance with its policy. A
copy of the Schools policy on Criminal Record Checks can be obtained from the
Admissions Office, or is available on the Admissions website.
Any concealment of a criminal record including cautions and fixed penalty notices may
result in withdrawal of an offer or expulsion from the course.
The Medical Schools Council publication Medical Students; professional behaviour andfitness to practise March 2009 provides further guidance on fitness to practise and this isavailable to download at www.medschools.ac.uk/Publications/ .
It should be noted that the General Medical Council also considers criminal convictions in
relation to fitness to practice and the School has no control over this process. It is
possible that certain criminal convictions could pose difficulties at the point of provisionalregistration. See:
www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/registration_applications/declaration_of_ftp.asp .
International Students: The CRB check can only include background checks on your time
in the UK. If the student has been resident in the UK for less than 3 years, then a
criminal record check from your home country is required IN ADDITION TO the UK CRBcheck. This may be referred to as a Certificate of Good Conduct (CoGC) but the name
varies. It is completely at the discretion of the School of Medicine whether they wish toaccept this check.
3.9 Fraud, Omission and plagiarism
The University of Leeds follows the UCAS procedures on fraudulent statements and
omissions. Applicants should not omit any requested or relevant information, make anymisrepresentation (for example, through plagiarism) or give false or misleading
information at any point of the application process including after an offer is made.
3 Current charge by CRB in August 2011
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Should this occur the University reserves the right to dismiss an application, withdraw an
offer of a place and/or revoke registration.
The UCAS Similarity Detection Service processes all personal statements received in
support of an application in order to identify statements that show similarity. Both the
applicant and the University will receive notification from UCAS of any cases where asignificant amount of potentially plagiarized material is identified. At the discretion of the
University of Leeds, applicants who are identified by the UCAS Similarity DetectionService may be given the opportunity to submit a new personal statement in support of
their application.
4. Use of Applicant Data
After internal assessment, data is held on file for the purposes of (i) further applications
from an individual and (ii) internal analysis of selection performance. In the latter casedata is anonymized such that it cannot be linked to a named individual.
UCAS will be providing contextual data along with each application that includes:
1. School performance average of students achieving 5 A*-C GCSE.2. School performance average QCA point score for best 8 GCSEs.
3. School performance average QCA points per A level entry (or equivalent).
4. UCAS tariff point score per Scottish Highers entry.5. School performance average QCA points per A level student (or equivalent).
6. School performance average UCAS tariff points per Scottish Highers entry.
7. Percentage of students at the school entitled to free school meals.8. Percentage of students at the school registered for free school meals.
9. Percentage of students at the school entitled to the EMA.
10.Applicant lives in a low progression to higher education neighbourhood.
These data will not be used in the admissions process in 2012 but may be used forinternal analysis to improve future selection cycles.
5. Fees, Funding and Bursaries
The University of Leeds is committed to encouraging students from all backgrounds, and
we therefore have a comprehensive package of financial support that may also beavailable from us. We expect that one-in-three students will be eligible for financial help
from the University. For further information on Financial Support, please visit
www.leeds.ac.uk/yourfinances.
6. University Open Days and Other Courses
The University of Leeds Undergraduate Open Days are usually held in June andSeptember/October and are designed for prospective applicants rather than those who
have already been made an offer. Dates for these Open Days can be found at:www.leeds.ac.uk/info/30335/open_days .
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There are also courses and conferences held in the UK that offer advice and information
on a career in medicine. Please note that the University of Leeds is not associated with
the running of these courses; they also carry a cost that must be borne by the attendee.Examples of courses are:
Medsim: www.medlink-uk.com/medsim/faq.htm
Medisix: www.synergysolutions.org.uk/Medisix.html Medi-Quest: www.medi-quest.com/
M&D Experience: www.mdexperience.co.uk/ EPOC Careers & Training: www.epoc.org.uk/
Useful web sites:
General Medical Council:www.gmc-uk.org
Medical Schools Council:www.medschools.ac.uk
A Taste of Medicine: www.tasteofmedicine.co.uk So you want to be a doctor: www.wanttobeadoctor.co.uk. A web site designed by
medical students at the University of Leeds for sixth formers considering a career
in medicine.
7. Contact Details and Further Information
General pre-application enquiries
For general enquiries and information relating to courses and admission to the Universityof Leeds, applicants should contact the Course Enquiries Office at:
Course Enquiries, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JTTelephone: +44 (0) 113 343 2336
Email: [email protected]
URL: www.leeds.ac.uk/students .
Post-application enquiriesAdmissions enquiries specific to the School of Medicine should be addressed to:The Admissions Section
School of Medicine
Room 7.09, Level 7Worsley Building, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT
Tel: +44 (0) 113 3434379/113 3437194
E-mail: [email protected] URL:www.leeds.ac.uk/medicine .
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Appendix A
Selection Process Timeline
UptoOctober15th:
UCASformsubmitted
UniversityofLeeds
CentralAdmissions
LateSeptemberonwards:
SchoolofMedicinereceivesUCASforms
AdmissionsOf@icecategorises
andsortsforms
Copiesofformssentto
assessors
Assessorsscorepersonaland
refereesstatements
AssessedformsreturnedtoAdmissionsandscorescheckedandrecorded
AcademicscoringandUKCATScorescollatedinAdmissions
Of@ice
AccesstoLeedsapplicantsassessedinconsultationwith
Sub-Dean
AdmissionsTeamcategoriseapplicationsas:
1.Interview
2.Reject
3.PendingDecision
November-March:
Letterssentoutinvitingtointerview
Rejectionletterssentout
December-March:
Interviewstakeplace
ScorescollatedinAdmissionsOf@ice
JanuaryFirstrejectionssentout
March-JuneLettersofOffersentout
August:
Finallistofstudents