Using data to improve medical training

Understanding how medical students, trainees, and doctors progress through their education and careers is crucial for improving training systems, addressing workforce needs, and ensuring equitable opportunities in healthcare.

By using comprehensive, longitudinal data, researchers can uncover valuable insights into career paths, and drive evidence-based improvements in both medical education and workforce planning.

Understanding medical education through UKMED

The UK Medical Education Database (UKMED) provides researchers with a powerful tool to explore how individuals progress through medical education and training in the UK. By connecting data across the entire educational journey, from pre-university qualifications to postgraduate training and career outcomes, UKMED enables research that sheds light on the factors influencing medical careers.

UKMED supports a wide range of research topics, including:

  • medical selection processes
  • academic performance
  • workforce planning and forecasting
  • equality and diversity in medical education
Accessing UKMED data

Researchers can apply for access to the database through the UKMED website.

Applications are reviewed twice a year, and proposals must demonstrate a clear research purpose aligned with UKMED’s governance and data use policies.

Visit UKMED

UKMED stakeholders

UKMED is run jointly by the Medical Schools Council and the General Medical Council.

Stakeholders
  • Academy of Royal Colleges
  • Biomedical Admissions Test
  • British Medical Association
  • Conference of Postgraduate Medical Deans of the United Kingdom
  • General Medical Council
  • Graduate Medical Schools Admissions Test
  • Higher Education Statistics Agency
  • Medical Schools Council
  • NHS Education for Scotland
  • NHS Health Education England
  • Northern Ireland Medical & Dental Training Agency
  • UK Foundation Programme Office
  • University Clinical Aptitude Test
  • Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
  • Wales Deanery

FOI requests of Applied Knowledge Test data

Wherever possible, Freedom of Information requests for detailed candidate data from the Medical School Applied Knowledge Test (MS AKT) should be considered a last resort after more collaborative and constructive routes have been explored. If you are considering submitting an FOI request for MS AKT data, we strongly recommend contacting UKMED once the GMC has published the data.

Read our full statement on FOI and the MS AKT 

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