Applicants from independent schools across the UK were 1.5 times more likely to receive an offer from a medical school compared with students from non-selective state schools and, even after adjusting statistically for their exam grades, socio-economic status and other demographic factors, independent school applications were still more likely to receive an offer.
Prof Katherine Woolf, professor of medical education research at UCL Medical School, said: “Getting into medical school remains a huge hurdle in any doctor’s career.
The research, conducted by the Sutton Trust and University College London (UCL), looked at almost 94,000 applicants to UK medical schools between 2012 and 2022, which represent almost half of all UK medical applicants.
This support is needed at all stages of a doctor’s career: from school, before and during application to medical school, and throughout the many years of medical education and training that are essential to practise as a doctor.”.
Despite the many changes medical schools have made over the past decade to improve access to the profession, our research has shown low prior attainment remained a major barrier to many aspiring doctors from the poorest backgrounds.
