Which disadvantaged students study medicine? Analysis of an English outreach scheme

Students from disadvantaged backgrounds continue to be underrepresented in medical education. Widening participation (WP) or outreach schemes seek to increase diversity. Drawing on previously unexplored data from a scheme called Realising Opportunities in England, this study aimed to investigate which high-achieving socioeconomically disadvantaged students in a national WP scheme went on to study medicine at university.

This retrospective longitudinal study analyzed data of 2665 16-year-olds on a WP scheme in England between 2010 and 2014. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses investigated any differences between those that went on to study medicine and those that did not. Eligibility for studying medicine, student's neighborhood, gender, ethnicity, parent's higher education experience, exam attainment, interest in medicine, and their subject of choice for university at age 16 were considered.

Of the 1850 students who were tracked to a university destination, only 55 (3%) studied medicine. Participants with high exam results, female, Asian, and from neighborhoods of higher university entry were most likely to study medicine. In the multivariate model, only prior attainment and intention to study medicine predicted studying medicine. Three hundred and forty Realising Opportunities participants expressed interest in studying medicine at age 16, but 80 (24%) were found to have unrealistic aspirations based on their prior academic attainment.

Attainment and intention were key factors for predicting medicine enrolment among these outreach scheme participants. Some students interested in studying medicine had insufficient academic attainment to compete for medical school places. Efforts to equalize attainment and provide guidance for career choice are crucial factors for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.