Widening access to medical education for under-represented socioeconomic groups: population based cross sectional analysis of UK data, 2002-6
- Resource Type
- research-article
- Authors
- Mathers, Jonathan M; Sitch, Alice; Marsh, Jennifer L; Parry, Jayne
- Source
- BMJ: British Medical Journal, 2011 Mar 01. 342(7796), 539-539.
- Subject
- Medical students
Nursing students
Socioeconomics
Population dynamics
Medical education
Education populations
Ethnicity
Cross sectional studies
White people
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 09598138
17561833
STUDY QUESTION Have new medical education programmes such as the graduate entry and foundation programmes changed the socioeconomic demography of the medical student population in the United Kingdom? SUMMARY ANSWER The graduate entry programmes have not brought significant changes to the socioeconomic profile of the UK medical student population. Foundation programmes have increased the proportion of students from under-represented groups, but the numbers of students admitted to these courses are small. WHAT IS KNOWN AND WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS Recent years have seen major initiatives in the UK to increase the size and broaden the demography of the medical student population. This study suggests that although historic under-representation of women and of minority ethnic groups has been redressed, most medical students still come from the most affluent socioeconomic groups in society.