Thinking of selection and widening access as complex and wicked problems

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Complexity Theory
• Social Sciences

Background:

• Medical school selection and widening access (WA) present complex challenges.
• Traditional approaches often oversimplify these issues, leading to ineffective policies.
• Understanding these complexities is crucial for improving medical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply complexity theory and the 'wicked problems' framework to medical school selection and WA.
• To reframe the challenges in medical education for better policy and practice.
• To explore how 'wickedity' can illuminate key issues in selection and WA.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the 10 properties of wicked problems to analyze selection and WA issues in medicine.
• Drew on interdisciplinary literature, particularly from education.
• Engaged in debate and reflection to assess the framework's applicability.

Main Results:

• Framing selection as a wicked problem shifts focus from simple solutions to contextual, stakeholder-inclusive approaches.
• The wicked problem framework highlights the multi-causal, dynamic, and social nature of medical school selection.
• Stakeholder views and context are recognized as highly relevant.

Conclusions:

• The wicked problem lens encourages managing uncertainty and productive questioning in medical school selection.
• This framework offers original insights and reframes challenges in medical education.
• Recognizing selection as 'wicked' opens avenues for more nuanced responses.