Medicine BM6 Widening Participation (BMBS) at University of Southampton

About

In 2025, BM6 Year 0 students will study an improved and updated course. This will have more clinical learning time and embedded research experience. The major change, to enable this, is the removal of the research project in Year 3 and the associated integrated BMedSc award.

This course is only open to UK applicants.

You'll study at one of the UK's leading teaching hospitals, Southampton General Hospital, and at our purpose-built life sciences facilities on campus. You'll gain clinical experience from the start of your course, meeting patients in hospital and primary care settings. You'll also benefit from our world-leading medical research groups, carrying out your own in-depth project.

This Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (BMBS) Medicine BM6 course is designed to widen participation in medicine. For example, you may be able to apply if you or your parent or guardian receive benefits, or you are the first in your family to apply for a higher education course.

As part of your degree you will:

attend shifts as a healthcare support worker to experience multi-professional teamworking
take a student assistantship module in year 5
benefit from teaching from our world-leading medical research groups, embedding research firmly in the curriculum

You can:

take your year 5 elective anywhere in the UK, or abroad
apply for a master's of medical science or a MSc at Southampton - or study for a iBSc or MSc at another university - between year 3 and year 4 (known as intercalation)
explore topics that interest you through our student selected units

You can get involved in research and entrepreneurship. We work on life-changing treatments and therapies in partnership with industry and with experts in the physical sciences, computing, engineering and mathematics fields.

You'll meet patients in clinical settings and will learn from volunteer patients, simulated environments and prepared patient cases.

In year 3 students may be placed in partner trusts including Portsmouth and Winchester as well as Southampton. In the final 2 years of the programme students are placed across the Wessex region.

We regularly review our courses to ensure and improve quality. This course may be revised as a result of this. Any revision will be balanced against the requirement that the student should receive the educational service expected. Find out why, when, and how we might make changes.

Our courses are regulated in England by the Office for Students (OfS).

Requirements

Entry Requirements

For Academic year 202526

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must be 18 or over at the start of the course and meet both the eligibility and academic criteria to be considered.

Any applicant under 18, if given an offer post interview, will potentially be offered a deferred place.

Only Home students are eligible. International applicants, graduate applicants, and students who have previously enrolled on a higher education course are NOT eligible to apply for the BM6 programme.

Applicants must meet the academic entry requirements listed below.

All applicants must sit the UCAT test before the 15th October UCAS deadline. Applicants must take UCAT in the year they are applying.

In order to be eligible for the programme, applicants must meet three of the following six eligibility criteria.

• First generation applicant to Higher Education (HE) – comes from a family where neither parent or guardian attended university in the UK or abroad and do not have HE qualifications.
• Parents, guardian or self are currently in receipt of a means tested benefit.
• Young person looked after by a Local Authority (for a period of longer than 3 months).
• Current resident in an area with a postcode which falls within the lowest 20% of the IMD (Index of Multiple Deprivation), or a member of a travelling family.
• In receipt of free school meals during GCSE Years 10-11 (for at least one term/2 months) and/or 16-19 Bursary/EMA. (Gap year students may still select this criteria if
they are on their first gap year directly after GCE A Levels).*
• A current young carer**, either registered with the local council or with a reference from a teacher/tutor to confirm.

*The bursary may cover free school meals, transport costs between home and college, text books/stationery/printing. The bursary criteria does not include the UCAT bursary or a bursary to pay for private school fees.

**someone aged 25 and under who is the carer for a friend or family member, due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction. This does not include looking after siblings because parents are at work for example.

Applicants should normally only submit eligibility criteria relating to one postcode/address and this is expected to be the address listed on the UCAS form.

The IMD score will be checked and verified by the Faculty of Medicine.

Parental/guardian means tested benefits will not normally be considered for mature employed applicants over the age of 21.

An eligibility form will be emailed to all applicants in November along with three questions to answer (Please see the ''How to apply'' tab for further details about the questions). Please note all supporting documentary evidence of how an applicant meets the eligibility criteria will need to be supplied by the November deadline listed in the eligibility form. We do not accept supporting information after this date. Further details will be provided in the form when it is sent out.

A-levels

Minimum BBB or above including Biology and one additional science (with a pass in the practical element where it is separately endorsed). Please note applicants must offer BBB or above, we do not accept grade or tariff equivalents to BBB.

A-levels additional information

Acceptable science subjects are Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, Environmental Studies or Geography. Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. Subjects where there may be considerable overlap of material will not be accepted in combination (examples of combinations include, but are not exclusive to, Zoology/Biology; Biology/Sports Studies/Physical Education). If you believe there is a potential overlap, please contact us before applying.

A-levels with Extended Project Qualification

For this programme we do not make an alternative offer, however we welcome applicants who have achieved a good grade in the EPQ

or

International Baccalaureate Diploma

Overall score of 30 points with 15 at Higher Level, with 5 in HL Biology and one additional Science

International Baccalaureate Diploma additional information

Acceptable science subjects are Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, Environmental Studies or Geography. Subjects where there may be considerable overlap of material will not be accepted in combination (examples of combinations include, but are not exclusive to, Zoology/Biology; Biology/Sports Studies/Physical Education). If you believe there is a potential overlap, please contact us before applying.

or

BTEC

BB from two A levels in Biology and one additional science and Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (360 GLH) at Distinction. Applied Science is not accepted. Subject provided reviewed on a case by case basis. Subjects where there may be considerable overlap of material will not be accepted in combination (examples of combinations include, but are not exclusive to, Zoology/Biology; Biology/Sports Studies/Physical Education). If you believe there is a potential overlap, please contact us before applying.

Additional information

We do not accept the BTEC Diploma or Extended Diploma as qualifications on their own, they must be offered in conjunction with the required Biology and Additional Science A Levels. BTEC Applied Science is not accepted for BM6.

or

Entry requirements filter options

Show more entry requirements

Access to HE Diploma

Irish Leaving Certificate

Scottish Qualification offers

Cambridge Pre-U

Welsh Baccalaureate

T Level

Access to HE Diploma

Access to Medicine - May be accepted from approved institutions or with suitable scientific content. 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3 of which 24 credits must be at Distinction and 21 credits at Merit.

Access to HE additional information

Access to HE Diploma (Medicine) will be accepted. Other access courses may be considered on a case by case basis, however, online access courses will not accepted. We would expect there to be a significant amount of time between the previous qualification (where relevant) and the Access to HE Diploma (Medicine) or alternative access course. We will not consider an application from an A Level student who undertakes an Access course shortly after completing their A Level but fails to achieve the required advertised A Level grades. Access courses are most likely to be considered for applicants who have not taken Science qualifications.

Irish Leaving Certificate

Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2017)

H2 H2 H3 H3 H3 H3, with H3 in Biology and one additional science

Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2016)

B2,B2,B2,B2,C1,C1 (to include Biology and one additional science).

Irish certificate additional information

Acceptable science subjects are Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, Environmental Studies or Geography. Subjects where there may be considerable overlap of material will not be accepted in combination (examples of combinations include, but are not exclusive to, Zoology/Biology; Biology/Sports Studies/Physical Education). If you believe there is a potential overlap, please contact us before applying.

Scottish Qualification

Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education.

Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement (PDF) for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.

Cambridge Pre-U

M2 M2 M2, including Biology and one additional science

Cambridge Pre-U additional information

Acceptable science subjects are Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, Environmental Studies or Geography. Subjects where there may be considerable overlap of material will not be accepted in combination (examples of combinations include, but are not exclusive to, Zoology/Biology; Biology/Sports Studies/Physical Education). If you believe there is a potential overlap, please contact us before applying.

Welsh Baccalaureate

BBB to include A level Biology and one additional science (with a pass in the practical element where it is separately endorsed) or BB from two A levels in including Biology and one additional science (with a pass in the practical element where it is separately endorsed) and B from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate

Welsh Baccalaureate additional information

Acceptable science subjects are Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, Environmental Studies or Geography. Subjects where there may be considerable overlap of material will not be accepted in combination (examples of combinations include, but are not exclusive to, Zoology/Biology; Biology/Sports Studies/Physical Education). If you believe there is a potential overlap, please contact us before applying.

T-Level

T Level qualifications are not accepted for this course.

English Program Requirements

Find the equivalent international qualifications for our entry requirements.

English language requirements

If English isn't your first language, you'll need to complete an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to demonstrate your competence in English. You'll need all of the following scores as a minimum:

IELTS score requirements

overall score: 7.0
reading: 7.0
writing: 7.0
speaking: 7.0
listening: 7.0

We accept other English language tests. Find out which English language tests we accept.

Career

Careers

Accreditation

At the end of the undergraduate course you will have the following qualifications: a Bachelor of Medical Science (BMedSc Honours) and a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (BMBS) degree, which is a primary medical qualification (PMQ). Holding a PMQ means you can apply to work in the National Health Service.

At the end of the course you will be qualified to register with the GMC and apply for a Foundation Year 1 post.

Careers this course can lead to

With a medical degree from Southampton you'll have excellent prospects for medicine career path. 100% of our graduates move on to jobs in the medical field or further study within 6 months of completing their degree.

Most of our graduates go straight into work as a Foundation Year doctor. Learn more about the Foundation scheme and what happens after graduation.

Our graduates go on to a wide range of careers in medicine:

accident and emergency
anaesthetics
armed forces medicine
general practitioner (GP)
gynaecology
hospital medicine specialties
medical research
obstetrics
orthopaedics
paediatrics
pathology
primary care
psychiatry
public health
radiology
surgery

You'll be supported by your personal academic tutor who can advise you on your career path throughout your course.

Careers services at Southampton

We are a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022). Our Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise team will support you. This support includes:

work experience schemes
CV and interview skills and workshops
networking events
careers fairs attended by top employers
a wealth of volunteering opportunities
study abroad and summer school opportunities

We have a vibrant entrepreneurship culture and our dedicated start-up supporter, Futureworlds, is open to every student.

Fee Information

Tuition Fee

GBP 0

Application Fee

GBP

Medicine BM6 Widening Participation (BMBS)

University of Southampton

University of Southampton

Key Facts

Start & Deadlines