Experience medicine students building a heart model.

Experience Medicine with LifeLab

This 2-day medicine summer school gives you an insight into what it takes to train and work as a doctor. 

You'll spend time at University Hospital ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓÆµ and with the LifeLab team, taking part in hands-on activities that let you experience different aspects of medicine and meet the people who make healthcare happen.

Course dates

Experience Medicine Autumn school (Years 10 and 11) - Thursday 22 and Friday 23 October 2026.

Experience Medicine Summer school (Years 9, 10 and 11) - Thursday 22 and Friday 23 July 2027.

Cost

  • Standard price: £400
  • 50% subsidised place: £200
  • 100% bursary: Free plus up to £100 travel support

We will provide food and drink during the day.

We cannot provide accommodation.  You will need to arrange your own transport. 

Eligibility criteria

You may be eligible for a 100% bursary if you meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • You receive free school meals at secondary school
  • You, your parents or your guardian, are in receipt of a means-tested benefit
  • You live in an area with a postcode which falls within the lowest 20% of the
  • You have been looked after or in care
  • You are a young carer

If you receive a 100% bursary, you can claim up to £100 towards your travel costs.

This course counts as one intensive activity towards Contextual admissions.

 

You may be eligible for a 50% subsidised place if you meet at least one1 of the following criteria:

  • You are the first in your family to attend university in the UK or overseas
  • You are from Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater (GTRSB) communities
  • You are a Refugee who has been granted refugee status by the UK Home Office
  • Your parent or carer currently serves, or has previously served, in the UK Armed Forces
  • You live in an area designated ‘LOW’ on the
  • You attend a school with below 40% L5 attainment in English and Maths,
  • You attend a school with below 40% Attainment 8,
  • You attend a school where below 80% students stay in education/training post-16,

You may be eligible for a 50% subsidised place if you meet at least 3 of the following criteria:

  • You attend a non-selective state school
  • You attend a LifeLab partner school (a school who has visited LifeLab in last 3 years)
  • You are home-educated
  • You live in an area with a postcode which falls within an quintile 1 or 2 area
  • You attend a school with a postcode which falls within quintile 1 or 2 area
  • You live in an area designated ‘below average’ on
  • You attend a school with below national average percentage L5 attainment in English and Maths,
  • You attend a school with below national average percentage Attainment 8,
  • You attend a school where below national average percentage of students stay in education/training post-16,
  • You attend a school with a POLAR score of 1 or 2 as determined by
  • You attend a school with a TUNDRA score of 1 or 2 (either at LSOA or MSOA level) as determined by
  • You have other extenuating circumstances

As part of your application, you will need to provide the contact details of your tutor or Head of Year.

If you are home educated, we will ask your parent or carer to confirm this information.

If you are eligible for a 50% subsidised place you will need to pay £200. We will provide food and drink during the day.

We cannot provide accommodation.  You will need to arrange your own transport. 

 

What to expect

Arrival and finish times

You can arrive from 8:45am to register and get settled before the course starts at 9:00am. The day will finish at 4:30pm.

Across the 2 days you will be working with medicine student ambassadors and you will have the opportunity to:

  • develop and use your knowledge of anatomy to work through patient cases
  • practice clinical skills such as venesection, cannulation, suturing, taking blood pressure and testing urine
  • witness a trauma situation and hear from emergency service professionals about what action to take
  • listen to a keynote speaker talk about their role in healthcare
  • learn about a range of interview techniques in preparation for medical school interviews
  • develop your communication skills for medicine and practice your pitch
  • tour the Acute Medical Unit and Clinical research facilities at University Hospital
  • have a question and answer session about what a day in the life of a doctor is like
  • listen to a talk from the Faculty of Medicine Admissions tutor about applying for Medical school
     

Attendance expectations

Students are expected to treat the programme like an in-person work experience placement. You should wear clothes suitable for lab work, including closed-toe shoes and short sleeves or long sleeves that can be rolled up. Do not wear ripped jeans or hoodies.

Your phone and other valuables can be left in secure lockers at the LifeLab.

How to apply

Applications for Experience Medicine Autumn have now closed.

 

Register your interest and we'll let you know when applications for 2027 open.

We assess applications for bursary and subsidised places against the bursary criteria after the application closing date.

Standard places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Hear from our students

Talking first hand with doctors allowed me to ask questions freely and get detailed answers.

Tilda

The clinical skills were very engaging and gave me a true feel of what being a doctor would be like.

James

It was a great experience and a good opportunity to find out more about medicine, thank you. 
 

Elizabeth

A small group of students taking part in a venesection practical session.A small group of students take part in a practical session at the Experience Medicine Summer school to experience what it's like to be a doctor.