Audit of admission to medical school: III--applicants' perceptions and proposals for change

Applicants to St Mary's Hospital Medical School were asked to comment freely on the process of selection. They were particularly concerned about the role of interviews, excessive emphasis on academic achievement, the problem of rank-ordering choices on the UCCA form, and possible biases in selection. These concerns and the results of our survey suggest that candidates should not be asked to rank their choices in order of preference, that UCCA applications for medicine should be subject to an early closing date, that as many applicants as possible should be interviewed, that applicants should be encouraged to apply after taking A levels, that educational opportunity should be taken into account in assessing A level grades, and that mature students should be encouraged, not least by providing mandatory awards for a second degree in medicine.