Social class and race have a major impact on people's chances of entering the medical profession

Social class and race have a major impact on people's chances of entering the medical profession, BMA research shows today (Monday 21 June).

In a new report, 'The Demography of Medical Schools', the BMA reveals marked differences in medical school acceptance rates between ethnic groups and social classes, and calls for action to ensure that no discrimination is taking place. It also says that the proportion of mature students at medical school is rapidly increasing, and that women doctors could outnumber men by 2012.

Key findings of 'The Demography of Medical Schools':

• Six in ten (59%) medical school applicants come from the highest social classes (families where the main source of income is a professional or managerial job such as law or accountancy)
• In recent years applicants from these groups were twice as likely to be accepted as those from working class backgrounds
• Medicine attracts a higher proportion of ethnic minority students than other courses, but acceptance rates vary between ethnic groups
• 73% of medical school applications from white and Asian students are successful, compared to 39% for students from black African backgrounds
• In 2003, more than one in five students (21%) accepted into medical school were over 21, compared to fewer than one in ten (9%) in 1996
• In 2003, more than three out of every five (61%) entrants to U.K. medical school were female, compared to 29% in 1963

The report says that the social imbalance among medical students cannot be wholly explained by different levels of educational achievement. Although direct discrimination may be a thing of the past, admissions procedures can unintentionally favour certain social groups. For example, some medical schools prefer candidates to have had work experience in a hospital, but access to such opportunities is limited for many students.

Dr Peter Dangerfield, chairman of the BMA's Board of Medical Education said: "The NHS needs doctors who can relate to all their patients, but at the moment the profession is far from being representative of the public it serves. Medical schools need to guard against any kind of discrimination – intentional or otherwise."

The report also says that inadequate financial support and the high cost of studying medicine – which will increase with the introduction of top-up fees – further discourage students from disadvantaged backgrounds from considering medical careers. The changing demography of medical schools raises important issues for the future of the NHS. The report highlights the value of mature entrants to the medical profession but points out that there may be questions as to the cost effectiveness of training doctors who may retire not long after starting their first jobs.

Commenting on 'The Demography of Medical Schools', Dr Vivienne Nathanson, Head of science and ethics at the BMA, said:

"Medicine must not be the preserve of the middle classes. If we're going to widen access to the medical profession, we need to look at potential doctors as individuals, and look at their skills in context. Who has more potential? A student who gets high grades at an inner city state school with a poor academic record, or someone who has all the benefits of a private education?"

1) The report is based on data from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and previous research.

Click here to view full report: http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/DemographyMedSchls