The report outlines how increased diversity among medical school entrants is the result of coordinated, evidence-based strategies, including:
The proportion of medical school entrants from the most deprived areas (IMD Quintile 1) has more than doubled—from 6% to 14%. However, acceptance rates for these applicants remain lower than for those from the most advantaged areas (33% vs. 51%).
Applications and admissions from POLAR Quintiles 1 and 2—areas with historically low progression to higher education—have more than doubled since 2013–14. This has been accompanied by a decline in applications from the most advantaged areas (Quintile 5).
The proportion of entrants from non-selective state schools has risen from 47% to 54%, while the proportion from independent schools has fallen from 29% to 24%.
The proportion of Asian applicants has increased from 27% to 29%, and Black applicants from 6% to 10%, reflecting a more diverse applicant pool.
The number of schools producing medical applicants has grown from 57% to 64%. However, one-third of schools still produce no applicants, and around half have had no successful entrants.
Despite this progress, the report highlights that schools with high numbers of students eligible for Free School Meals, located in more deprived areas, and with lower average A-level scores continue to face challenges in supporting students to apply to medicine.
With the government committed to expanding medical school places to meet NHS workforce needs, Fostering Potential sets a new target: increase the proportion of entrants from the most disadvantaged areas by 2% over the next ten years. While modest, this goal, combined with expansion, would result in a significant rise in the number of students from underrepresented backgrounds entering medicine.
This next phase will require continued collaboration between medical schools, government, and the wider education sector to ensure that medicine becomes a realistic and accessible career path for all.