What is the Wesleyan Pathway to Medicine Programme?

The Wesleyan Pathway to Medicine programme has been designed to expand knowledge, develop skills, and give an insight into what university life is really like to those students with ambitions to study medicine for university.

During the eighteen-month programme, which students will complete alongside studying for their A Levels, successful applicants will be given the opportunity to take part in various enrichment activities. These include medicine and healthcare subject taster days, work experience preparation sessions and A Level revision boot camps. In addition, science academic tutoring and specialist interview preparation workshops help to prepare students for their applications to medicine and competitive healthcare courses.

During their time on the programme, students will be exposed to a range of leading experts from healthcare subjects taught at Aston University including medicine, pharmacy, optometry, psychology, audiology, and biosciences. Students will also hear from practicing healthcare professionals from across the region such as GPs, nurses, paramedics, pharmacists, and optometrists, as well as meeting current Aston University healthcare students.

Learners will be expected to attend all compulsory Year 12 events to successfully progress onto the second year of the programme in Year 13 and be eligible for a Pathway Contextual Offer if they apply to Aston University on our undergraduate medicine and life and health sciences degrees.

This Pathway is delivered in partnership with Wesleyan, the specialist financial mutual for doctors, dentists and teachers.

Key dates

Students must have support from their teachers and careers advisers to apply, including approval for time off school/college where necessary to attend events. Learners will be expected to attend all compulsory Year 12 events on their stream to successfully progress on to the second year of the programme in Year 13.

Year 12

WhenActivityLocation
OctoberStudent and Parent Launch (half term)Aston University
NovemberAcademic TutoringOnline
DecemberMedicine Taster Day & Academic TutoringAston University & Online
JanuaryAcademic TutoringOnline
FebruaryAcademic TutoringOnline
MarchNHS and Allied Professions Day & Academic TutoringAston University & Online
AprilAcademic Tutoring & UCAS Application DayOnline
MayWork Experience Preparation DayOnline
July/AugustSummer School ResidentialAston University

Year 13

WhenActivityLocation
OctoberMMI Interview Preparation Day (half term)Aston University
NovemberAcademic TutoringOnline
DecemberAcademic TutoringOnline
JanuaryAcademic TutoringOnline
FebruaryA Level Revision Boot Camp (half term) & Academic TutoringAston University & Online
MarchAcademic TutoringOnline
AprilAcademic TutoringOnline
JunePathway GraduationAston University
Who is eligible for the Wesleyan Pathway to Medicine?

The Pathway to Medicine is open to students entering Year 12 in September who have a genuine interest in pursuing a career in medicine or healthcare. Students must have support from their schools/colleges to apply, including approval for time off where necessary to attend events. Students who are interested in applying to the Pathway to Medicine programme must meet the following criteria:

  • Entering Year 12 in September at a school/college in the West Midlands
  • Studying both Chemistry and Biology A Level
  • Have achieved at least six GCSEs level 6 and above. This must include Double Science or Chemistry and Biology at level 6 or above, as well as Maths and English Language.

Students that do not meet these grades cannot apply for the Pathway to Medicine programme. Please refer to our Pathway to Healthcare programme to see if you are eligible for this alternative stream.

As well as the above academic grades, students must also meet at least one of the following widening participation criteria to apply for the Wesleyan Pathway to Medicine programme.

  • Live in a POLAR 4, Quintile 1 or 2 area (check if your home postcode is eligible)
  • Attend a school or college in a POLAR 4, Quintile 1 or 2 area (check if your school/college postcode is eligible)
  • Come from a home where neither parent has attended a university in the UK or abroad
  • Have a disability or are in receipt of a personal independence payment
  • Is a care leaver or has experience of being looked after by a local authority
  • Have been in receipt of free school meals at any point over the last three years
  • Belong to any of the following groups: Gypsy, Roma, Traveller communities, refugees, children of military families

Please note, places on the programme are limited. If the programme is oversubscribed, then places will be offered by random allocation to all eligible applicants until the programme is full. Students who enter the Pathway to Medicine programme are not guaranteed a place on our degree programmes at Aston University. On successful completion of the Pathway Programme, students who wish to apply to Aston University, who fulfil all of our admissions and other entry criteria and are successful with their application, will be eligible for a Pathway Contextual Offer.

Why Choose Aston's Wesleyan Pathway to Medicine
  • Access to a wide range of medicine and healthcare experts to help you decide on your future career path.
  • A level boot camps, science academic tutoring and application preparation to ensure you are fully prepared to apply to university.
  • A single point of contact at Aston University who will support you throughout the university application process and your time at school or college.
  • Eligible for a Pathway Contextual offer if your application to Aston University is successful

“The Pathway to Medicine has given me an insight into what university is really like and helped build my confidence about my own journey into higher education – it was a real eye-opener”.

Former Pathway to Medicine student

How to apply

Students must have support from their teachers and careers advisers to apply, including approval for time off school/college where necessary to attend events. Learners will be expected to attend all compulsory Year 12 events on their stream to successfully progress on to the second year of the programme in Year 13 and be eligible for a Pathway Contextual Offer and the chance to apply for an Alumni Undergraduate Scholarship worth £5,000 if applying to Aston University.

Applications for our next cohort on the Pathways to the Professions programme close at 5pm on Friday 6th October 2023. Any applications made after this time and date will not be considered.

Contact us

Any questions?

Contact us directly at Pathways.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @AstonPathways for the latest information, top tips, and guidance to support your journey into Higher Education #TeamAston

Find out more

If you are interested in finding out more about the Outreach events and activities which we run at Aston University, please visit our central Student Recruitment and Outreach webpages, or contact us directly on email.