Susan Scrafton and Steve Leech Durham University
Proposal
Social inequalities still exist in the medical school population, even with a large
expansion programme aimed at increasing the number of medical school places1.
The majority of entrants still come from the highest social groups, with the chances
of being accepted declining with socioeconomic background1. This has resulted in a
medical body that is not representative of the population which it serves. In order to
redress this social inequality and to provide doctors that understand the diverse
needs of their patients, it is necessary that medical schools develop outreach
programmes to encourage young people who have not traditionally thought of
medicine as a career. However, despite this recognition, the opportunities to study
medicine are limited for school leaver students who do not achieve the standard
entry requirement of AAA grades in science subjects at A level. It is also widely
recognised, that success in the medical profession relies not just on academic
abilities but on a whole range of interpersonal skills. Therefore a widening
participation strategy should include assessing a student’s academic potential, in
addition to their academic achievements, and their personal qualities2 3.
Gateway to Medicine is an initiative aimed at widening access to medicine. It
comprises a six year MBBS degree and a year-long pre-entry programme of activities.
This presentation will share good practice by outlining the content of the pre-entry
phase and explaining the benefits of the programme for both student and
institution. It will also highlight the challenges such interventions are faced with,
both within and outside of the institution.
1
The demography of medical schools: A discussion paper (2004). British Medical Association.
Retrieved from
http://www.bma.org.uk/employmentandcontracts/equality_diversity/DemographyMedSchls.jsp.
2
Greenhalgh. T., Seyan,K. and Boynton, P. (2004). “Not a university type”: Focus group study of social
class, ethnic, and sex differences in scholl pupils’ perceptions about medical school. BMJ. 328, 15411544
3
Seyan,K., Greenhalgh. T. and Dorling, D. (2004). The standardised admission ratio for measuring
widening participation in medical schools: Analysis of UK medical school admissions by ethnicity,
socioeconomic status and sex. BMJ. 328, 1545-15456