Background Individuals from deprived backgrounds are under-represented in the medical profession: confidence is a barrier to them successfully applying to medical school. Unfortunately, medical school widening participation (WP) initiatives to address this are limited by funding. Methods This study examined the impact of two student-led conferences that Year 12 pupils attended and presented at. It looked at the ability of the conferences to engage WP pupils, their impact on participant confidence, and the feasibility of them being replicated by other student-led groups. The first, Conference A, had more time and finances invested into it than the second, Conference B. The latter relied solely on university society funding, but utilised WP criteria for selection of participants. Participants identified their confidence in six areas on a ten-point scale, immediately before and after the intervention. Results A paired t-test showed a significant improvement (p < 0.01) in all areas of confidence for both conferences. Cohen’s d showed Conference A had larger effect sizes in five out of six areas than Conference B. Conclusion This intervention has demonstrated a significant impact on participant confidence: a key factor to improve their chance of successful admission to medical school. This impact may be enhanced by supporting participants with their presentations prior to the conference; it is feasible for this work to be replicated by other student-led groups.
Individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds are under-represented in the medical profession: confidence is a barrier to them successfully applying to medical school. This study examined the impact of two student-led conferences for Year 12 pupils, at which they had the opportunity to present their work. It looked at the ability of the conferences to improve participant confidence, and the feasibility of its replication by other student-led groups. Methods: The first, Conference A, had more time and finances invested into it than the second, Conference B. The latter relied solely on university society funding, but utilised WP criteria for selection of participants. Participants identified their confidence in six areas on a ten-point scale, immediately before and after the intervention. Results: A paired t-test showed a significant improvement (p < 0.01) in all areas of confidence for both conferences. Cohen's d showed Conference A had larger effect sizes in five out of six areas than Conference B. Conclusion:This intervention has demonstrated a significant positive impact on participant confidence: a key factor to improve their chance of successful admission to medical school. Supporting participants with their presentations prior to the conference was found to further enhance their confidence. The authors feel that this work could be replicated successfully by other student groups.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.