Exploring the Barriers Faced by Medical Students and the Impact of Their Involvement in a Widening Participation Charity

Few studies have explored the challenges faced by medical students from widening participation (WP) backgrounds compared to their non-WP peers. This study aimed to identify these challenges in medical school and evaluate how well a national charity enabled them to address these challenges.

A 26-item online Qualtrics questionnaire was circulated to all medical student volunteers within the charity Medics & Me. This explored potential challenges faced by students, including finances, networking opportunities, career development, and their sense of belonging in medical school. Fischer's exact test and unpaired t-testing were used to statistically compare mean scores between WP and non-WP students, and thematic analysis elicited student views on Medics & Me. Ethics approval was obtained for the study.

Forty-seven out of a national cohort of 196 Medics & Me medical student volunteers (23.9%) responded to the questionnaire. 19 were from a WP background and 28 from non-WP backgrounds. WP students were significantly more likely than non-WP students to feel that finances impacted their studies (p=0.0152), more likely to work to fund their studies (p=0.0011), and less likely to consider their medical school as inclusive to the needs of all students. (p=0.0267). All students cited poor support with career development, networking, and pastoral care, and a feeling that they did not belong. Positive aspects of Medics & Me included the sense of community and networking opportunities. Key themes for improvement included clearer guidance for developing career portfolios, more networking opportunities, and closer working with medical schools.

WP students reported significantly more concerns with finances and belonging than non-WP students. All students scored their medical school poorly for support, particularly regarding career development and networking opportunities. Medics & Me should consider supporting students with career development and networking opportunities and work closely with faculty.