The relationship between school type and academic performance at medical school: a national, multi-cohort study

Kumwenda, Ben; Cleland, Jennifer; Walker, Kenneth R.; Lee, Amanda; Greatrix, Rachel

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016291

Cited by 49 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 41 publications

(24 reference statements)

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“…Kumwenda et al reported students from state schools achieve higher EPM scores than those attending independent schools, when entering medical school with similar grades [23]. This provides an interesting perspective on how well different school types prepare students for studying medicine but, as the authors of the study acknowledge, the findings need to be interpreted within the whole context of the individual's educational circumstances: attending a state school does not always demonstrate educational and social disadvantage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

A comparison of undergraduate outcomes for students from gateway courses and standard entry medicine courses

Curtis

Smith

2020

BMC Med Educ

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Background: Gateway courses are increasingly popular widening participation routes into medicine. These six year courses provide a more accessible entry route into medical school and aim to support under-represented students' progress and graduation as doctors. There is little evidence on the performance of gateway students and this study compares attainment and aptitude on entry, and outcomes at graduation of students on the UK's three longest running gateway courses with students studying on a standard entry medical degree (SEMED) course at the same institutions. Methods: Data were obtained from the UK Medical Education Database for students starting between 2007 and 2012 at three UK institutions. These data included A-levels and Universities Clinical Aptitude Test scores on entry to medical school and the Educational Performance Measure (EPM) decile, Situational Judgement Test (SJT) and Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA) scores as outcomes measures. Multiple regression models were used to test for difference in outcomes between the two types of course, controlling for attainment and aptitude on entry. Results: Four thounsand three hundred forty students were included in the analysis, 560 on gateway courses and 3785 on SEMED courses. Students on SEMED courses had higher attainment (Cohen's d = 1.338) and aptitude (Cohen's d = 1.078) on entry. On exit SEMED students had higher EPM scores (Cohen's d = 0.616) and PSA scores (Cohen's d = 0.653). When accounting for attainment and aptitude on entry course type is still a significant predictor of EPM and PSA, but the proportion of the variation in outcome explained by course type drops from 6.4 to 1.6% for EPM Decile and from 5.3% to less than 1% for the PSA score. There is a smaller significant difference in SJT scores, with SEMED having higher scores (Cohen's d = 0.114). However, when measures of performance on entry are accounted for, course type is no longer a significant predictor of SJT scores. Conclusions: This study shows the differences of the available measures between gateway students and SEMED students on entry to their medical degrees are greater than the differences on exit. This provides modest evidence that gateway courses allow students from under-represented groups to achieve greater academic potential.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

A comparison of undergraduate outcomes for students from gateway courses and standard entry medicine courses

Curtis

Smith

2020

BMC Med Educ

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“…They also need more ongoing support than other pupils, particularly as they may find it harder to form social identities with their medical student peers (Brown & Garlick, 2006;Leathwood & O'Connell, 2003). Recent evidence however shows that students from state-funded schools outperform their peers who attended independent schools (Kumwenda et al, 2017). The same finding may therefore also be true of WP candidates.…”

Section: During Medical Schoolmentioning

confidence: 51%

Widening participation in medicine: what, why and how?

Patterson¹,

Price²

2017

MedEdPublish

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Widening Participation (WP) is 'the process of encouraging underrepresented socioeconomic groups to apply for Higher Education'. This is particularly relevant to medicine, where representation of lower socioeconomic groups is generally poor. Reducing this divide is necessary as socioeconomic diversity enhances social mobility and is likely to improve patient outcomes.This review aims to explore the background to WP, including relevant political theory and also highlights the key methods currently used by medical schools to promote WP. These include pre-application measures (outreach and access to medicine courses), application interventions (contextual data, multiple-mini interviews and situational judgement tests) and post-application measures (foundation courses and ongoing support during medical school). The review also discusses the main criticisms of WP. Finally, it offers recommendations for medical schools regarding the implementation of WP initiatives.

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“…Interestingly, these variables are related: independent schooling has been shown to be associated with lower EPM scores. 29,30 However, our parallel study of applications to GP training, 28 while also finding lower EPM scores to be associated with a greater likelihood of application, found independent schooling to be associated with a lower likelihood. Thus, while both specialties suffer recruitment shortages, the underlying reasons for this may be different.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Sociodemographic and educational characteristics of doctors applying for psychiatry training in the UK: secondary analysis of data from the UK Medical Education Database project

et al. 2019

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Aims and methodWorkforce shortages in psychiatry are common worldwide. The international literature provides insights into factors influencing decisions to train in psychiatry but is predominately survey based. This national cohort study aimed to identify the characteristics of doctors who were most likely to apply to psychiatry training programmes. The sample comprised doctors who entered UK medical schools in 2007/8 and who made first-time specialty training applications in 2015. The association between application to psychiatry and doctors' sociodemographic and educational characteristics was examined using multivariable logistic regression.ResultsThose most likely to apply were White, privately educated older doctors with below average performance at medical school.Clinical implicationsTo reduce workforce shortages, psychiatry must make itself more attractive to all doctors, especially those from underrepresented groups such as state-educated Black and minority ethnic individuals. Otherwise, national policies to widen participation in the study of medicine by such groups may exacerbate the current recruitment crisis.

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The relationship between school type and academic performance at medical school: a national, multi-cohort study

Cited by 49 publications

References 41 publications

A comparison of undergraduate outcomes for students from gateway courses and standard entry medicine courses

A comparison of undergraduate outcomes for students from gateway courses and standard entry medicine courses

Widening participation in medicine: what, why and how?

Sociodemographic and educational characteristics of doctors applying for psychiatry training in the UK: secondary analysis of data from the UK Medical Education Database project

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