Widening participation to medicine: a student-led workshop for medical school applicants

Abstract

Context Widening participation to medicine aims to remove barriers to medical education for under-represented groups. This study examined the impact of a widening participation workshop for medical school applicants. The intervention was delivered by a team of medical student volunteers operating in the North West of England: Manchester Outreach Medics. Methods 39 pupils, typically aged 16-17, attended the workshop at Royal Blackburn Hospital, Lancashire. Activities included a variety of lectures and interactive group sessions. Using questionnaires, participants highlighted their understanding in areas relating to the medical school application process on a scale of zero to ten. This was performed before and after the intervention to allow for comparison. The results were evaluated using a one-tailed paired t-test and Cohen's d effect size. Results There was a significant improvement (p <0.001, Cohen's d >0.8) in the understanding of all topics assessed. The largest improvements were seen in topics that the participants had little understanding in prior to attending the workshop. Conclusions This student-led activity improved participant understanding in areas pertaining to the medical school application process. The study also showed the effectiveness of pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, which could be used by all post-16 medical widening participation activities in the UK.

Keywords

• Widening Participation
• Widening Access
• Social Mobility
• Medical School Admissions