Increase in students from disadvantaged backgrounds attending medical school

The report marks 10 years since the publication of Selecting for Excellence, which outlined recommendations aimed at widening participation in the medical profession. Fostering Potential reflects on the positive impact of the efforts and investments made by medical schools to widen participation and assesses current progress while setting new goals for the next decade to ensure continued growth. The report highlights how the increase in diversity among medical school entrants is the result of several strategic interventions, including targeted outreach, improved applicant support, work experience flexibility, alternative entry routes and contextual admissions.

The report also reveals significant strides in improving access in the last 10 years:

• Doubled representation: The proportion of medical school entrants from the most deprived areas (IMD Q1) has more than doubled, from 6% to 14%. However, acceptance rates for these applicants remain lower than those from wealthier areas (33% for Q1 vs 51% for Q5).
• Increased applicants from disadvantaged areas: The number of applicants and entrants from POLAR quintiles 1 and 2—areas where fewer young people progress to higher education—has more than doubled since 2013-2014. This has been accompanied by a decrease in applicants from the wealthiest areas (Q5).
• State school representation: The proportion of entrants from non-selective state schools has increased from 47% to 54%, while the proportion from independent schools has decreased from 29% to 24%.
• Diversity in ethnic backgrounds: The proportion of Asian applicants has grown from 27% to 29%, and the proportion of Black applicants has risen from 6% to 10%.
• Wider school participation: The number of schools producing medical applicants has increased from 57% to 64%. However, one-third of schools still do not produce any applicants to medical school, and around half have had no successful entrants.

The report recognises however that despite the progress, schools with high proportions of students eligible for Free School Meals, located in more deprived areas, and with lower average A-level points scores, still face barriers in producing medical school applicants. With medical school places set to expand in the coming years as part of the government’s commitment to increase the number of doctors in the NHS, Fostering Potential sets a goal to increase the proportion of students from the most disadvantaged areas by 2% over the next decade. Achieving this target, in combination with the planned increase in medical school places, would lead to a substantial rise in the number of entrants from disadvantaged backgrounds, helping to build a more equitable and diverse medical workforce.