Improving Equity of Access to Medical School - Perspectives From a New Foundation Year Access to Medicine Programme

Linn, A. , Browitt, A., Ferguson, E. and Miller, L. (2023) Improving Equity of Access to Medical School - Perspectives From a New Foundation Year Access to Medicine Programme. 16th Annual University of Glasgow Learning and Teaching Conference, 29 Mar 2023. (Unpublished)

Abstract

The Undergraduate Medical School at the University of Glasgow is committed to the development and retention of a diverse community of medical students reflective of the wider society which they will eventually serve. In 2017, the medical school successfully obtained funding from a Scottish government initiative centred around widening participation and providing equitable access to medical school. As a result, the Glasgow Access Programme (GAP), a bespoke gateway to medicine access programme was designed to deliver an academically supportive and stimulating learning environment providing students with a comprehensive training and development of the professional and academic skills required to study medicine. The programme was aimed at school leavers and those enrolled on widening participation access to medicine college courses, who are resident in Scotland in SIMD20 postcodes, care experienced or from a remote/rural background, students with a refugee or asylum seeker status were also eligible to apply. During the 2017-2019 academic sessions, 43 students were enrolled onto the programme. A research project was completed which focused on working in partnership with widening participation medical students that had completed GAP and transitioned on to study undergraduate medicine. The project developed an evidence base of authentic experiences from the student’s viewpoint as they transitioned through first year medicine and adjusted to the demands of studying medicine. Using focus groups, the student participants highlighted potential areas of development to support students on their learning journey as they transitioned from high school to GAP and then as they transitioned from GAP to undergraduate medicine. The presentation will focus on supporting widening participation students transitions to higher education and strategies introduced to GAP and undergraduate medicine to support widening participation students’ retention, success and wellbeing in the undergraduate medical school and will highlight challenges that still need to be overcome.

• Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item
• Status: Unpublished
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Browitt, Ms Alison and Ferguson, Dr Eilidh and Miller, Dr Louise and Linn, Dr Aileen
• Authors: Linn, A., Browitt, A., Ferguson, E., and Miller, L.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing

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