The Changing Cohort of Medical Students - Birmingham MedSoc Conference

The changing cohort of medical students Dr Fiona Pathiraja Dr Marie-‐Claire Wilson November 2011

Objec=ves •  Address the ques=on “Where will your Medsoc be in 2020?” with speciﬁc relevance to the changing nature of medical school cohorts •  Changing make-‐up, behaviours and aMtudes of future medical students and how this will relate to future MedSocs

About us •  Conquest Medschools •  Founded by Dr Marie-‐Claire Wilson and Dr Fiona Pathiraja in 2009 •  Educa=onal consultancy with a strong widening access focus •  Workshops, summer schools, conferences to raise the issue of widening access to the medical profession

The medical student through the ages •  Medicine wasn’t always a respected profession •  There has been a rise in pres=ge aSached to being a medical student •  Several privileges aSached to the role •  Over the past 20 years, admission to medical school has become increasingly diﬃcult

Medical student archetypes •  Medical student communi=es have previously been quite homogenous •  Only a specific type of person, from a specific type of school, with specific types of parents would have thought about applying to medicine

An archetypal doctor

What is widening access? •  Widening access to the medical profession is about encouraging talented young people from non-‐tradi=onal backgrounds to think about applying to medical school •  Their parents may not have been to university and may work in low-‐paid jobs •  They might go to schools where no-‐one has ever applied to medicine before

The horizon of widening access also includes… •  Female medical students •  Disabled students •  Graduate students •  LGBT students

Why is this important? •  Our pa=ent popula=ons are diverse in age, culture, •  A diverse range of doctors with diﬀerent backgrounds is beSer suited to serve this pa=ent popula=on

Any other thoughts? It’s not fair that bright people from non-‐tradi=onal We need all the healthcare backgrounds should be workers we can get – there denied a chance to study shouldn’t be discrimina=on medicine based on background/ gender/sexuality, etc. Why should we care about whether disadvantaged people get into medical school or not?

On the poli=cal agenda… •  A pre-‐condi=on of the establishment of new medical schools was to have ac=ve widening par=cipa=on programmes •  In Oct 2003 John HuSon announced that £3m was available to fund pilot projects to aSract a wider range of people into the healthcare professions •  HEFCE allocated a further £6m to widen par=cipa=on . Many of the pilot projects were however delayed

BMA survey ﬁndings The BMA report in their Survey of Medical Student Finance 2008/09 that: •  Only 15% of respondents were from skilled trades, semi-‐skilled and unskilled occupa=onal backgrounds •  Only 5% came from semi-‐ skilled and unskilled occupa=onal backgrounds •  LiSle change from 1999

BMA survey ﬁndings Barriers: •  Finance, funding support and debt •  Interview and communica=on techniques •  Lack of informa=on •  Entry tests/UKCAT •  Paths into the professions including ﬂexible entry •  Work experience

The medical student cohort in 2020 Won’t be much different to Will be more now reflec=ve of our society Only the rich Students will be will be able consumers/ to afford uni customers

What does this mean for MedSocs? •  What will your medical school be like in 2020? •  Who will be on your MedSoc? •  Should MedSocs be involved in widening access? –  If so, how?

MedSocs levelling the playing ﬁeld •  MedSocs could help students from non-‐tradi=onal backgrounds through: –  Knowing the local schools –  Work experience schemes –  Mentoring across the applica=on process from UKCAT/BMAT to interviews –  Providing informa=on and advice and being accessible

Rough cost calcula=on of aSending medical school •  University fees at £9,000 over 5 years = £45,000 •  Living costs at £6,120 over 6 years = £36,720 •  Books/learning aids at £200 over 6 years = £1,200 •  Additional costs e.g. Professional Studies Loan/overdraft = £10,000 TOTAL POTENTIAL COST at medical school = £92,920

Rough calcula=on of postgraduate costs to become a hospital doctor •  GMC license to practice £1,780 •  Postgraduate exams £1,456 •  Courses for exams £1,500 •  Books and subscriptions £1,000 •  Courses and conferences over 9 years £10,000 •  Travel to place of work over 9 years £9,000 Basic total: £24,736

Es=mated personal cost of a UK medical educa=on £117,656

Cost to the taxpayer of training a UK medical student £250,000

MedSocs are now represen=ng medical student consumers •  If HE becomes increasingly expensive, it is possible that students will be more like consumers and demand more of their universi=es •  Consumers want more for their money and are not afraid to complain, cri=que and lobby to get the most for their investment •  Shaping the face of medicine should now be a much easier thing to do

What is the medsoc’s posi=on in 2020? •  Students are now investors and have a stronger stake in their future •  BeSer posi=oned to change the face of medicine •  The student body and the med socs who represent them are in a powerful posi=on to nego=ate change •  Think about widening access and the sort of med student community you want to be a part of

Make it happen

Contact details •  Email: info@conquestmedschools.com •  TwiSer: –  Conquest Medschools @conquestmedsch –  Fiona Pathiraja @dr_ﬁona –  Marie-‐Claire Wilson @MCW_London •  Facebook: –  Conquest Medschools fan page

The Changing Cohort of Medical Students - Birmingham MedSoc Conference

by Conquest Med Schools on Feb 05, 2012

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The Changing Cohort of Medical Students - Birmingham MedSoc Conference — Presentation Transcript