Medical schools are letting in disadvantaged students with lower grades to boost diversity, a report claims.
The Sutton Trust, a social mobility charity, analysed admissions to UK medical schools between 2012 and 2022 and found that most now provide “contextual offers” as part of efforts to widen access.
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It said “a very small number of medical schools” had lowered entry requirements to three Bs at A-level for disadvantaged pupils, while the majority had dropped the bar by one or two grades.
The charity said this had “most commonly” resulted in disadvantaged pupils being told they could gain a place at medical school with two As and a B.
‘Gateway’ courses
Newcastle University, a member of the Russell Group, is among those to hand out offers to pupils who achieve three Bs at A-level.
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Bristol University, another member of the Russell Group, provides “contextual offers” to disadvantaged pupils who receive an A and two Bs or higher at A-level. Applicants must achieve an A in chemistry and a B in one of biology, physics, maths or further maths.
The Sutton Trust also found that 17 medical schools now offer “gateway” courses as part of efforts to attract a broader pool of applicants. These also have lower grade requirements and demand that students complete an additional foundation year before the standard medical school programme.
The charity called for medical schools to make “more ambitious use of contextual offers” to widen access further, including “reduced grade offers”.
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The study of 94,000 applicants in England to medical schools in Britain also found that private school pupils were one and a half times more likely to receive an offer than those from non-selective state schools.
‘Diverse pipeline of talent’
Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust, said: “It’s outrageous that working-class kids make up just 5 per cent of medical students, especially when the NHS is facing a chronic shortage of doctors and a heavy reliance on overseas recruitment.
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Medical school courses are among the most competitive in the UK, since they are expensive to teach and universities hold limited laboratory resources.
There are about 9,500 medical school places across Britain, but the NHS hopes to increase the figure to 15,000 in England alone by 2031 as part of its long-term workforce plan.
* Original Article:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/27/medical-schools-let-in-disadvantaged-students-lower-grades/