Access to Medicine Courses: Can You Get Into Medicine With Access to HE?

Yes, you can get into medicine with an Access to HE Diploma, but only at some UK medical schools and with strict rules. Most that accept it want an Access to HE Diploma (Medicine), with all or nearly all of your 45 graded credits at Distinction. You'll usually also need the UCAT, good GCSEs and a few years out of education.

It's a real route into medicine, but a narrow one, so the most useful thing you can do before you enrol is check the rules of every school you'd like to apply to. This guide gathers them in one place, from each medical school's own page, checked in September 2026.

What is an Access to HE Diploma in Medicine?

It's a version of the Access to HE Diploma built specifically to prepare adults for a medicine degree. Like every Access to HE Diploma, it has 60 credits: 45 graded at Level 3 (Pass, Merit or Distinction) and 15 ungraded. There's no overall grade, just a grade for each unit.

What makes it different is the QAA Subject Descriptor for Medicine. QAA, which regulates Access to HE, says every diploma called "Access to HE Diploma (Medicine)" must follow it. The descriptor was fully implemented from 1 September 2021 and revised in July 2025, and QAA thanks the Medical Schools Council and the General Medical Council for their contributions to it.

The descriptor sets minimum graded Level 3 credits:

It also requires ungraded credits in using numerical data, study skills and professional behaviours, and lab work must be part of the chemistry credits. The descriptor is clear that it doesn't guarantee a place: medical schools set their own entry requirements, and all of them interview.

For a general introduction, see our Access to HE Diploma explainer.

Which medical schools accept Access to HE?

Here's what each school says about its standard medicine course. Entry years are as the school's page states them.

A few things stand out. Distinction in everything is the norm. Most schools want every graded credit at Distinction, and even the exceptions ask for Distinction in the core sciences. Most prefer the Medicine diploma rather than a general science one. And several have a time-out rule, because the route is meant for adults with life experience, not as a shortcut for recent school leavers. Keele's 2026-entry page says plainly it is "not a 'back door' route".

UCL is also reported to accept the Medicine diploma for 2027 entry (36 credits at Distinction and 9 at Merit), but its page couldn't be opened for this guide, so confirm that directly with UCL.

Do I still need the UCAT and GCSEs?

Yes. An Access diploma replaces your A-levels, not the rest of the application.

UCAT. Every school in the table that accepts Access asks for the UCAT, taken in the year you apply. Some set minimums:

GCSEs. Most schools look for English Language and Maths at grade 6 (B). King's and Hull York say so, and Keele said the same on its 2026-entry page. Leeds asks Access applicants for at least six GCSEs at grade 4, including English Language, Maths and science. King's adds that numeracy or literacy modules inside an Access diploma can't replace the GCSEs.

Interview. The QAA descriptor notes that all medical schools interview as part of selection.

How do I choose the right Access to Medicine course?

Getting this right before you enrol saves a lot of heartache. Work through it in this order:

1. Shortlist four medical schools. You can apply to up to four medicine courses through UCAS.
2. Read each school's Access rules from its own course page, using the table above as a starting point.
3. Check the diploma title. Most schools want an Access to HE Diploma (Medicine) that follows the QAA descriptor. Hull York only accepts diplomas from its approved list of colleges, so check the list.
4. Check how it's taught. Sheffield, Leeds, Hull York and Southampton don't accept distance-learning or online diplomas for medicine. Our guide to online Access to HE courses covers this in more detail.
5. Check the unit content. King's wants at least 15 Biology and 15 Chemistry credits at Distinction, and Manchester and Liverpool look for 15 each too.
6. Email admissions if anything is unclear. It's much better to ask before you pay than after.

When do I apply?

Medicine has an early UCAS date. For 2027 entry, it's 18:00 UK time on 15 October 2026 for most medicine courses, and your reference must be complete before you can send your application. Our UCAS deadlines guide for 2027 entry has every date.

How many UCAS points is an Access to HE Diploma?

Medical schools set Access offers in credits and grades, not UCAS points, so the Tariff isn't how you'll be assessed. It's still useful if you're weighing up other courses. The Diploma has been in the UCAS Tariff since 2017 entry, and your points depend on your mix of Distinctions, Merits and Passes:

See our Access to HE UCAS points guide for how the Tariff treats the Diploma.

What if medicine doesn't accept my diploma?

You still have options, and they're worth thinking about early:

• A foundation-year route. Plymouth accepts Access to HE for its BMBS with Foundation (Year 0): a mainly science diploma with 15 Level 3 credits in Biology or Human Biology, 33 credits at Distinction and 12 at Merit.
• A related degree first. Some students take a science degree and then apply for graduate-entry medicine. Manchester, for example, runs a separate Graduate Entry Medicine course.
• A different health career. Our guide to UCAS points for medicine and our page on UCAS points for nursing show what those degrees ask for.

If Manchester is on your list, our Manchester medicine entry requirements guide covers its Access, UCAT and contextual rules in detail.

Work out your Access to HE UCAS points