The hidden challenges facing state school medicine applicants

“Our alumni and Changemaker Ambassador, Luke Edwards, works as a Consultant Anaesthetist for the NHS. In this guest blog, he draws on his experience attending a state school in South Wales to describe some of the barriers those from less advantaged backgrounds face when trying to make it in medicine. Only 13% of doctors are from working-class backgrounds. When around half of the UK population identifies as working-class, it follows that doctors are highly unrepresentative of the general UK population they serve, in terms of socio-economic background. Those with parents of professional backgrounds are 6 times more likely to become doctors than those from working-class backgrounds. This inequality has persisted since the 1960s and since 2010 is even potentially widening. This poses particular challenges to those wishing to break through this ceiling and become doctors. I grew up in Port Talbot, South Wales and went to the local comprehensive school. I had never met a doctor outside of the local GP practice or hospital. Most people I knew had working-class jobs, many worked in the local steel works. After graduating from university in 2014 I am now a Consultant Anaesthetist working at one of Europe’s busiest major trauma centres. I have an amazing job and even better colleagues, and I am immensely proud to work in an NHS that provides world-leading care to everyone no matter their background. I loved my upbringing however it did present me with obstacles to overcome that are familiar to many others who aren’t from higher socio-economic backgrounds. A blog from a more recent medical student and fellow Sutton Trust alumni, Rachel Duff, describes similar barriers, showing that the situation hasn’t really changed. When you don’t know anyone who works in medicine – or in law, academia or finance for that matter – it’s hard to aspire to join the profession. You don’t know what it entails, whether it’s right for you, or whether you’ll fit in. Often you don’t even know that vocation exists. I was told I could be a doctor, dentist, vet or lawyer. I wasn’t told I could be a marine biologist, investment banker, or linguistics professor: I didn’t even know those careers existed. Work experience (a pre-requisite to entry into medicine) is much more difficult to obtain if your parents are not doctors or you don’t know a doctor. Applications to medical school are now structured and standardised to level the playing field, but equality doesn’t necessarily create equity. There are many ways in which it’s more difficult for a state school or a less advantaged applicant to be successful in applying. For example, it’s harder to obtain the necessary grades in a more challenging school environment with fewer resources available (personnel and equipment) and with less access to costly private tutoring outside of school – which has been highlighted consistently in the Sutton Trust’s research . Drafting the personal statement is more difficult without anyone to review it. Preparing for the interview is far more challenging without access to coaching and without a school environment that can include access to debating activities. Perhaps the biggest issue is being able to feel confident at the interview itself when surrounded by those who are more economically privileged, who are practised public speakers, and who don’t feel overwhelmed by experiencing the university environment for the first time. Even something as silly as the clothes you’re wearing marks you out as different: I can’t remember ever having worn a suit before and wore an ill-fitting one from the supermarket to my first interview that made me feel immediately less confident. During the interview itself you may not have as many exciting and varied experiences to draw upon. For example, not everyone is able to pursue gap year endeavours overseas as some of my peers did. I wasn’t even aware of the concept of a gap year. You may have much less insight into a career in medicine because your parents aren’t doctors or because it was difficult to source helpful work experience. Neither of these experiences make you a worse Foundation Year 1 Doctor when you leave medical school in 5 years time, but they’re unfairly pivotal in determining whether you’ll be able to get into medical school in the first place. It’s not surprising that the Sutton Trust’s research from last year found that only 5% of entrants to medical school are from lower socio-economic backgrounds. If you do succeed in getting in, the challenges don’t stop there. Less affluent students will likely have to balance the rigours of medical studies with part-time jobs. Worries about affording the rent and the food bill definitely add to your stress but may not even enter the minds of many of your colleagues. You may feel less confident and be less able to project self-confidence in group work settings than wealthier or privately educated coursemates, despite knowing just as much. This is something that I still feel to this day. This is why the work of the Sutton Trust is so vital. By taking part in their medicine summer school at Bristol University when in college, I gained insight into life at university and began to believe that I could belong there. I was inspired by the peers that I met on the programme, and was motivated further to obtain the place at medical school that would grant me access to this amazing career. I hope that by telling my story, anyone experiencing the same issues can be encouraged to persevere and to know that they are without a doubt valued and desired in this profession. The opinions of guest authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Sutton Trust. The post The hidden challenges facing state school medicine applicants appeared first on The Sutton Trust .

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