In 2014, the Medical Schools Council launched the Selecting for Excellence report, looking at selection to medicine with a particular focus on widening participation. A decade on, its follow up report, Fostering Potential, was published to detail progress over the last 10 years.
Fostering Potential reflects on the positive impact of the efforts and investments made by medical schools and government to widen participation and assesses current progress while setting new goals for the next decade to ensure continued growth.
The report reveals significant strides in improving access in the last 10 years:
- Doubled representation: The proportion of medical school entrants from the most deprived areas (IMD Q1) has more than doubled, from 6% to 14%. However, acceptance rates for these applicants remain lower than those from wealthier areas (33% for Q1 vs 51% for Q5).
- Increased applicants from disadvantaged areas: The number of applicants and entrants from POLAR quintiles 1 and 2—areas where fewer young people progress to higher education—has more than doubled since 2013-2014. This has been accompanied by a decrease in applicants from the wealthiest areas (Q5).
- State school representation: The proportion of entrants from non-selective state schools has increased from 47% to 54%, while the proportion from independent schools has decreased from 29% to 24%.
- Diversity in ethnic backgrounds: The proportion of Asian applicants has grown from 27% to 29%, and the proportion of Black applicants has risen from 6% to 10%.
- Wider school participation: The number of schools producing medical applicants has increased from 57% to 64%. However, one-third of schools still do not produce any applicants to medical school, and around half have had no successful entrants.
Read the full report: Fostering Potential – 10 years on from Selecting for Excellence
Selecting for Excellence Final Report
Drawing on this high-level input, the experience of medical schools and specially commissioned research, the Selecting for Excellence Final Report was launched in December 2014. It included recommendations for medical schools, government bodies and the regulator. Released simultaneously were various guidance for medical schools and potential applicants, and the pieces of research which informed the report.
Its most important recommendation was for the Medical Schools Council to establish a group made of experts in selection who would lead nationally on all matters relating to medical admissions. This group was formed from the heads of selection at each medical school and named the Medical Schools Council Selection Alliance.
Read the full report: Selecting for Excellence Final Report
Reports
- Selection Alliance 2023 Report
- Selection Alliance 2019 Report
- Selection Alliance 2018 Report
- Selection Alliance 2017 Report
- Implementing Selecting for Excellence: A progress update (2016)
- Selecting for Excellence - Final report
- A journey to medicine: Outreach guidance
- A journey to medicine: Student success guidance
- Work experience guidelines for applicants to medicine
- Statement on the core values and attributes needed to study medicine
- Terms of Reference
Research
- Work experience: a deterrent for applicants to medicine from widening participation backgrounds? - Dr Gil Nichols et al
- Help and hindrance in widening participation: commissioned research report - Dr Paul Garrud
- How can greater consistency in selection between medical schools be encouraged? A mixed-methods programme of research that examines and develops the evidence base - Professor Jen Cleland et al