Medical schools each engage in a significant amount of work to widen participation to medicine. One of the ways in which medical schools do this is through widening participation outreach, which is defined as any activity that involves raising aspirations and attainment and encouraging students from under-represented groups to apply to higher education. The outreach schemes offered may vary, for instance:
- some medical schools offer activities for primary school students to inspire them to consider medicine
- some medical schools offer activities for secondary students that assist with medical school applications and gaining work experience
Types of outreach activities
Activities offered by medical schools might include, but are not limited to:
- Study skills support
- Masterclasses
- Application support
- Workshops for subjects such as preparing for aptitude tests and interview skills
- Mentoring (including online mentoring)
- Shadowing
- Summer schools
- Teacher/Adviser conferences
- Campus visits
- Visits to schools
- Demonstrations
MSC Summer Schools
The MSC Summer Schools provide an insight into medicine and healthcare courses alongside information and advice on how to apply. The programme is a widening participation initiative aimed at young people from areas of England where few students apply to study medicine. Visit the MSC Summer School page for more information on how to apply.
Teacher/careers adviser conferences
Outreach activities are most effective when they seek to involve schools and colleges. Teacher and careers adviser conferences are aimed at staff with a responsibility for supporting their students’ progression to higher education within their institution or organisation. They enable teachers and advisers to keep up to date with changes within medical admissions, so they are able to provide the most relevant and current advice and guidance to students.
How to find outreach schemes
To find out more about outreach schemes or for extra support, contact the medical schools directly to discuss what they could offer. Take a look at the list of medical schools to find schools local to you.