New foundation year widens access to medicine and dentistry
March 2006Bill Rammell MP, the Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, officially launched the University’s Foundation Year in Medicine and Dentistry at Xaverian College in Rusholme in March.
In September, Xaverian will welcome Medicine and Dentistry undergraduates from the University who don’t have the traditional qualifications for entry to the standard five-year degree courses. They will attend classes at both locations to prepare for the first year of the degree, to which entry is automatic on satisfactory completion of the year.
The foundation year will include course units covering the core syllabus, using ‘problem-based learning’ concepts, teaching sessions on the relevant basic sciences, special study modules with a clinical orientation and guest lectures by clinicians. There are only six similar courses in Schools of Medicine and four in Schools of Dentistry in the country, and the University’s is the first to be in partnership with an FE college with the aim of widening participation.
Principal of the College Tony Andrews welcomed Mr Rammell and senior attendees from both institutions to the launch, before Director of Admissions for the School of Medicine Professor David Yates spoke about the significance of the foundation year. He said:
“The University is determined to make its internationally renowned medical and dental courses accessible to all students with academic potential. We recognise the merits of diversity and the importance of opening up our courses to a wider group of applicants, and already offer a successful ‘in-house’ preparatory year for those with non-standard qualifications.
“This new link with Xaverian College will broaden its appeal and enrich the learning experience of under-represented groups who aspire to become doctors and dentists.”
Mr Rammell then gave a short speech commenting on the important role that world class, research-intensive universities such as Manchester play in the widening participation agenda, before taking the opportunity to meet current and prospective students of higher education at the college.
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