King’s College Responds to Rising Health Demands with Innovative Medical Programme

Healthcare Entry Medicine MBBS Offers New Pathway to Medical Practice

Amid mounting pressures on the UK's healthcare system, including a hospital treatment backlog exceeding 7.4 million patients as of March 2025 and ongoing workforce shortages, King’s College London has responded with a transformative educational initiative. The university has introduced the nation's first dedicated medical degree for qualified healthcare professionals, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of clinical career pathways. This new four-year programme, Healthcare Entry Medicine MBBS, is strategically crafted to support nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, paramedics, and physician associates in advancing into medical practice.

Recognising and valuing prior clinical experience, the course delivers a targeted curriculum that strengthens candidates’ bioscience knowledge and population health understanding, while refining diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities. Unlike King’s existing Graduate Entry Medicine programme, this pathway is purpose-built for those already engaged in patient-facing roles, requiring a 2:1 undergraduate degree, at least two years of full-time clinical experience, and completion of the UCAT as part of admissions.

Applications will be accepted via UCAS in September 2025, with the first student cohort commencing in 2026. An online session with Dr Liza Kirtchuk, the Programme Lead, is scheduled for 15 July, 18:00–19:00, offering candidates an opportunity to engage directly and gain deeper insight. Teaching will be delivered by expert clinicians and scientists across prestigious institutions including Guy’s, King’s College, and St Thomas’ hospitals, with placements extended across southern England’s district hospitals and over 350 general practices.

By establishing the first Russell Group–led fast-track medical programme and maintaining five distinct entry routes into medicine, King’s continues to lead the way in inclusive and future-ready medical education, responding to a national crisis and also to the evolving aspirations of healthcare professionals.

Editor’s Note:

King's College London's new Healthcare Entry Medicine MBBS course is a timely and transformative initiative designed to address the escalating healthcare challenges in the United Kingdom. With NHS waiting lists surpassing 7 million patients and persistent workforce shortages straining services, this program offers a crucial expedited pathway for experienced healthcare professionals to become qualified doctors. By building on the knowledge and skills of nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, paramedics, and other frontline staff, the programme not only recognises their valuable clinical experience but also empowers them to take on broader responsibilities in patient care. In doing so, it aims to strengthen the medical workforce, improve treatment accessibility, and help reduce delays in hospitals and clinics across the country.

Skoobuzz observes that this initiative reflects a proactive and inclusive approach to medical education, one that responds directly to the healthcare system's current needs while championing the advancement of those already serving within it.