Local outreach
Similarly, medical schools have been making a concerted effort to attract and recruit students from disadvantaged backgrounds through initiatives such as ‘widening participation programmes.’ These initiatives look at criteria such as socio-economic background, school performance, time spent in care, free school meals etc. An expansion will give medical schools the opportunity to maintain and increase widening participation, and, if done properly, will have enormous benefits for ‘under-doctored’ areas, which tend to coincide with relative social deprivation.
A UKMED study found that; ‘The majority of doctors prefer to train at postgraduate foundation schools that are reasonably close to the family home. Those who attended state-funded schools, from non-white ethnic groups and/or from lower socio-economic groups were significantly more likely to choose foundation schools nearer their parental home.’iii
Placing medical schools in areas of deprivation and selecting students from that area could mean a majority of graduates remains in the region as well as improving the local health economy. UKMED’s findings also suggest that a significant number, particularly widening participation students, may also wish to return to train near their family homes. Where there are under-doctored areas where it is not possible to create a new medical school, this could be addressed by concerted efforts by medical schools to undertake outreach in these locations.
These are just some of the challenges, considerations and possible means of fostering medical school expansion which the Journey to a Million can facilitate. The task is complex but if we focus on collaboration rather than competition and take a strategic approach to addressing barriers to growth, then we will be in a greater position to achieve a sustainable medical workforce. The potential benefits to the country are huge; the NHS is better supported with a larger workforce potentially leading to less burn out for its staff, patients with better access to care and improved health outcomes and bright applicants from across all sectors of our society have greater opportunities to begin a career in medicine.
iRoyal College of Physicians (2021), Double or quits – blueprint for expanding medical places.
iiMedical Schools Council (2021), The expansion of medical student numbers in the United Kingdom.
iiiKumwenda et al (2018), Geographical mobility of UK trainee doctors, from family home to first job: a national cohort study.