Women are advantaged and ethnic minorities disadvantaged in medical school selection

How medical students are selected has long been controversial, in part because little of the important information has been available. The Council for Heads of Medical schools (CHMS) has now released on to the web detailed data on selection to UK medical schools in 1996 and 1997. On p 1111 McManus, who was commissioned by the council to analyse these data, describes the relation between a score of variables and the likelihood of a candidate receiving an offer, both overall and at each medical school in the United Kingdom. Of particular interest are differences between schools in the disadvantage of candidates from ethnic minority groups, differences that seem to have been comparatively stable for the past five or six years and require explanation. In contrast, women are advantaged. The release of similar data in the future will permit continued monitoring of selection.


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Relevant Article

Factors affecting likelihood of applicants being offered a place in medical schools in the United Kingdom in 1996 and 1997: retrospective study • Commentary: League tables will help • Commentary: Some legal aspects arising from the study

I C McManus, Aneez Esmail, and Marie Demetriou
BMJ 1998 317: 1111-1117. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]