Pathways to Medicine

We recommend that you use our eligibility checker tool to see if you are eligible to apply.

We look forward to seeing applications from Year 12 students who have a passion for STEM subjects and interest in medicine.

To apply for the Pathways to Medicine programme, you must be:

• in Year 12 at the time of application;
• attending (and have always attended) a state-funded, non fee-paying school or college;
• living and attending a school within an hour of Imperial’s South Kensington campus;
• willing to travel to Imperial College London for the scheduled programme dates.

Academic criteria

To be considered for this programme, you must:

• be studying biology and chemistry at A-level;
• be interested in pursuing medicine at university;
• have achieved a minimum of eight GCSEs with at least five at grades 7-9, including maths and sciences;
• have achieved a minimum of a grade 5 in GCSE English Language;
• be on track to achieve at least two A grades out of a minimum of three subjects at A-level (or equivalent).

Additional criteria

This programme is funded by the Sutton Trust, which supports students from backgrounds under-represented in higher education. That includes if: 

• you are eligible for free school meals
• your family income is below £46,350 each year
• you have been in care or are a young carer
• you live independently (estranged), meaning you no longer have the support of your family due to a breakdown in the relationship
• your parents do not have a university degree
• you are studying in a non-selective state school that has below average attainment
• your school has a high percentage of students receiving free school meals

Applications for the next cohort will open in September 2025. 

Applications are made through the Sutton Trust online application system.

We recommend that you use a personal email address - rather than a school email address - when making your application. Security settings used in some school email servers stop applicants from receiving emails from the application system.

All information you provide on your application form will be stored by The Sutton Trust and shared with Imperial College London. To read about how The Sutton Trust will use your information, please see their privacy policy.

Please see below an outline of core events and activities with provisional dates for our 2024/25 programme.

Year 12

• Welcome event – evening of Thursday 21 November 2024
• Junior conference – weekend day in early December 2024 (date tbc)
• Ementoring workshop * – full day on Saturday 25 January 2025
• Taster session – Thursday 20 March 2025 from 5pm
• Ementoring workshop * – full day on Saturday 26 April 2025
• Mastering the UCAT – full day online in May/June 2025 (date tbc)
• Taster session – Thursday 19 June 2025 from 5pm
• Summer school – 7-11 July 2025 (full days, non-residential)

* You will be required to complete a small project following each ementoring workshop. Project support from current Imperial medical students will be available through a dedicated online mentoring platform (Brightside). 

Year 13

• 1:1 ementoring – ad hoc during August 2025 until January 2026
• Personal statement reviews - submit during August/September 2025
• MMA Day aka Senior conference – weekend day in November 2025 (date tbc)
• Interview workshop – weekend morning online in November/December 2025 (date tbc)
• Finale event –  Thursday evening in December 2025 (date tbc)

General

We aim to provide you with insights into the medical profession through virtual and/or in-person work experience opportunities. These are likely to take place during the school holidays. Optional ementoring outside of the time periods outlined above will also be available. 

If you think your participation in any in-person activities will not be possible due to the costs associated with travel to our campus, please get in touch with the programme team (no later than a week before the activity/event) and they will be happy to discuss these circumstances with you.