Pathways to Medicine icon
Age:
Year 12
Location:
Hull-York, Newcastle, Nottingham, London (apply through Imperial for London)
Duration:
2 years

What the programme offers

Each university has a unique way of delivering the programme. Over the course of two academic years, every Pathways to Medicine student will have a chance to:

Meet professionals

Meet professionals

What would it be like to be a doctor? You’ll get a chance to hear directly from working professional and industry experts. Have your questions answered and figure out if a career in medicine is best for you.

Attend university events

Attend university events

We will hold regular events to help prepare you for applying to, and attending, university. Until we are able to do so, we will be holding our events virtually either after school or during half-terms and holidays. We try to schedule most events in your first year to accommodate your A-level schedule. You will receive a full calendar of events in your first month so you can save the dates. In the past we have offered:

  • Interview workshops
  • Medical masterclasses
  • Personal statement and CV-writing workshops
  • Practical workshops

Access Sutton Trust Online

Access Sutton Trust Online

You will have access to our virtual platform throughout your programme. With Sutton Trust Online, you will receive personal statement support and be able to chat to our community of alumni about university life. You will also be able to view our extensive content library with lots of useful resources to help you prepare for university and beyond!

Receive an undergraduate mentor

Receive an undergraduate mentor

 
You’ll be paired with a medical student who will guide you throughout your two years on the programme. They will share their experience as an undergraduate student and answer your questions about picking a school, managing your finances, navigating social life and more!

Attend a summer school

Attend a summer school

On our week-long summer school, you will attend lectures and see what university life has to offer either virtually or on a campus residential week (depending on guidance and restrictions at the time). Meet medical students and network with professionals. Hone the skills that universities and employers look for and access expert advice on university applications. You can look forward to:

  • Skills workshops
  • Career talks
  • Admissions testing sessions
  • Social activities

Access our Alumni Network

Access our Alumni Network

Once you graduate from a Sutton Trust programme, you will become a member of our alumni community. Sutton Trust Alumni is the online home of the alumni community. Here you can create connections, access support and inspire change. With more than 3,500 alumni already active in the community, you can get advice from alums studying and working in areas you are interested in. You’ll also gain exclusive access to events, career opportunities and ways to stay involved with our work.

 

Who can apply

Eligibility

To apply to Pathways to Medicine you must:

  • Attend, and have always attended, a state-funded, non fee-paying school/college
  • Be in Year 12 at the start of the programme
  • Be studying science at A Level
  • Live within a reasonable commuting distance of the university you are applying to. This will normally be one hour’s travel time each way. Please note, although this year’s programme will begin online, we hope to move to face-to-face programming once feasible. If you are unsure about this, please contact us.

In addition, we are looking for students who:

  • Have achieved at least five GCSEs at grades 9 – 6 (A*-B), including English and Maths. A minimum of two of these qualifications should be at grades 9 – 7. 
  • Would be the first generation in their family to attend university
  • Have been eligible for Free School Meals whilst at secondary school
  • Live in a neighbourhood with a low rate of progression to higher education or a high level of socio-economic deprivation
  • Have attended schools with a lower than average progression to higher education, or a higher than average proportion of students who qualify for Free School Meals
  • Have been looked after or in care

The more criteria you meet, the more likely you are to be offered a place on the programme. 

I signed up because I knew just how competitive medicine is, so I just jumped at as many opportunities as possible. I knew that it was a two-year programme where I could experience the medical school, gain work experience and even get lower grade boundaries if I completed the programme – how could I not sign up to it? Laura, Scunthorpe, Pathways to Medicine 2017 - Hull York Medical School
Thanks to the programme, I was able to secure work experience at Charing Cross Hospital working with an anaesthetist. It was really fascinating – I had the opportunity to put on scrubs and watch real surgeries take place. Pathways to Medicine alum 2017
Given the circumstances of COVID-19, this programme was a great way to gain advice and guidance by speaking to so many different people who have all had various experiences throughout their journey into medicine. It has also helped with the daunting application process and really helped to clarify what is needed of a strong medicine candidate! Pathways to Medicine participant 2020
I loved my experience on the programme, as there were various different tasks and activities to do. I gained an overall insight into medicine and I was able to be well-informed on the subject, which helped in making my decision to choose to study it at university. Pathways to Medicine alum 2019

How to apply

Applications for all Pathways to Medicine programmes will open on the 1st September 2022

Below are the application deadlines for each university hosting a Pathways to Medicine programme this year

University  Application deadline
Hull York Medical School 04/12/2022
Imperial College London Closed
University of Newcastle 18/11/2022
University of Nottingham 14/11/2022

Our latest cohort:

48%

The proportion who were eligible for Free School Meals at Secondary School.

70%

The proportion who would be first generation university students.

68%

The proportion who met at least three of our five criteria.

100

The number of students who took part in the programme.

Our University Partners

Supporters

The Sutton Trust is incredibly grateful for the generous support that make our programmes possible. Special thanks to:

Explore other Sutton Trust programmes