Even though plans to widen access to medicine have been implemented, medical applications and offers consequently received are still dominated by those from more affluent backgrounds - those from fee-paying schools, those from families with a high level of education, those with parents in professional/managerial careers and so on.
What initiatives do we have currently?
Pathways to the Professions provides advice and guidance to school students in all state schools in Edinburgh and the Lothians. This advice is tailored for those students interested in applying for Medicine, Law, Veterinary Medicine and Architecture. Pathways organises events designed to let these students explore careers they may be interested in, with the aim of widening participation to courses that are typically seen as more inaccessible. This includes events like public lectures, led by academic staff at the University, giving a more easily digestible insight into the subject. The medical component of Pathways focuses not only on lectures, but also on practical sessions ushc as using laparoscopy training devices, to give you a real taste of what a medical course might entail. Although their main insight is into applications to the Edinburgh Medical School, they do offer sessions beneficial to those looking to apply elsewhere. They also, should you receive an offer from Edinburgh when the time comes, lower the conditions of the offer slightly depending on your eligibility criteria.
However, perhaps a drawback of Pathways is its somewhat limited sphere of influence. Pathways caters only to Edinburgh and the immediate surrounding area. Reach works further afield, filling the niche Pathways can’t. Reach is a programme run by the Russell Group universities in Scotland to increase access to highly competitive courses, similar to those covered by Pathways to the Professions, with whom they work closely.
There is currently an independent group of senior medical students running an organisation aiming to increase awareness of medicine as an accessible career, called YouCanBeADoctor. They offer a great deal of information regarding the route to becoming a doctor. They also run specialised events to help with this. Once again the only problem with YouCanBeADoctor is, similarly to Pathways to the Professions and Reach, it only covers Scotland.
What other initiatives do we have around the UK?
Many universities are now providing a gateway/foundation/pre-clinical year course as a means of introduction to a medical education
This would be prior to an undergraduate medical degree and aims to better prepare applicants for undergraduate medical education. Some courses are a route for learners with a good academic record in non-science subjects, while others are designed to widen access to the medical profession to those whose grades may be lacking for various reasons. The grade requirements for these courses are generally lower than those to directly enter the medical course. The UKCAT is still a requirement. At the end of the one-year course, provided that you have shown exceptional aptitude, you’ll be given the opportunity to progress into the MBChB course itself. Of course, this means studying for an additional year, which may be a financial problem for some.
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More information regarding foundation years can be found here
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What are the eligibility criteria for these programmes?
Pathways to the Professions is open to all pupils studying at one of the state schools in and around Edinburgh. Reach is much the same, but aimed at those studying in state schools in the Scottish Borders and Forth Valley. YouCanBeADoctor is an open resource available to all who wish to access it.
Why do we need social mobility like this?
Ability comes from individuals from all sorts of socioeconomic backgrounds. The unfortunate reality, however, is that many such individuals from less advantaged backgrounds may be deterred from pursuing careers in sectors typically associated with those in the “upper” social brackets of society. Providing the opportunity for all to fulfil their potential is not only a morally admirable goal, but also a powerful factor in economic growth, much in the same way reducing unemployment figures would do so. Equality of opportunity is a cherished value in much of the western world, and thus has always been a prevalent topic of debate.
There are various arguments used to counter the quest for increased social mobility. We hope to explain why these arguments are untrue, and to adequately defend our position.
It is easy to dismiss the observed disparities as indicative of inherited intelligence; those that are poorer are simply less intelligent. However, studies performed into the genetic component of intelligence and the degree to which it affects the offspring’s intelligence produce very varied results, with current estimates ranging from 0% to 80%. The most recent studies suggest what determines an individual’s intelligence is not purely genetic, nor is it purely environmental - a sort of “nature AND nurture” situation.
Two renowned sociologists, John Goldthorpe and Richard Breen, illustrate why particular attention is paid to children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds: “Children of less advantaged class origins need to show substantially more merit than children from more advantaged origins to gain similar class positions”. Accessibility to certain professions therefore cannot purely be due to difference in intelligence across class.
This also goes some way to dispel the notion that diversity in medical schools results in “dumbing down” of the pool of students. This is simply not the case - the goal of social mobility is to ensure that one’s ability and merit are the only bases on which young people are considered. This also means that the brightest students, whether they come from advantaged or disadvantaged background, will not lose out.
A representative professional workforce may also improve relations with the general public, as it creates less of a culture divide between the patient and physician, encouraging a greater degree of trust. This, consequently, will improve healthcare as a whole.
This information was originally collated by The Panel on Fair Access to the Professions, available in their report here
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What is the aim of Make the Cut?
Our aim is to provide an online resource accessible to all, created by students for students. We hope to deliver this information in a digestible and digitally modern format. We identified an opportunity in the field of widening access which we could potentially fill; free, comprehensive information applying personal experience that is applicable UK-wide.
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