MSC Selection Alliance Report 2023

Summary

This publication presents developments and achievements across six key areas:

• context and challenges in medical school selection during and after the pandemic
• data monitoring on applications and admissions by demographic background
• outreach initiatives including summer schools and teacher engagement
• development of applicant resources and guidance
• selection methods including MMIs and contextual admissions
• progress review and future plans for widening participation

Key findings

• Applications and acceptances to medicine have increased, including from disadvantaged and underrepresented groups.
• Gateway programmes are successfully attracting students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, though numbers remain small.
• Online interviews and virtual outreach introduced during the pandemic have improved accessibility for many applicants.
• Students from state schools and deprived areas are increasingly represented in medical school cohorts.
• Graduate entry medicine shows disparities in acceptance rates by ethnicity, requiring further investigation.
• Summer schools and teacher engagement events have supported applicants from cold spots and underrepresented communities.
• UKMED data shows that students from Gateway and WP backgrounds perform well in medical school and beyond.

Recommendations

• Continue to support and expand Gateway and contextual admissions programmes.
• Maintain and improve virtual outreach and interview practices to ensure accessibility.
• Strengthen collaboration with schools, teachers, and student-led widening participation groups.
• Use longitudinal data to evaluate the impact of outreach and admissions policies.
• Publish a 10-year review of the Selecting for Excellence initiative in 2024, setting out a vision aligned with NHS workforce needs.

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