Measuring socio-economic deprivation using the IMD score

Main suggestions for how the summer school could be improved

Most important things that pupils felt they learnt

�

Box A Measuring socio-economic deprivation using the IMD score [posted as supplied by author]

The IMD score is derived from 2001 Census (General Household Survey) data for England and Wales.[1] It reflects the average income (22.5%), employment (22.5%), health and disability (13.5%), education, skills and training (13.5%), barriers to housing and services (9.3%), crime (9.3%), and living environment (9.3%) of an area of around 200 households. To calculate the IMD score of your home address:

Go to http://www.gigateway.org.uk/areasearch/default.html and put in your home postcode. When the data table appears, find the �Lower layer super-output area� row and note the code (e.g. E01000319).

Go to the website of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_control/documents/contentservertemplate/odpm_index.hcst?n=4610&l=3 and open the Excel database �SOA level ID�.

Using the �find� function, find the SOA code you noted above, and read off (a) the absolute IMD score and (b) the ranking of that SOA against all other SOAs in England and Wales (where 1 = most deprived). A ranking of 8121 or lower places the SOA in the most deprived quartile in England and Wales.

�

1 Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Neighbourhood Renewal Unit. The English indices of deprivation 2004 (rev). Measuring multiple deprivation at the small area level: a conceptual framework. London: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, 2004.

�

Box B Main suggestions for how the summer school could be improved [posted as supplied by author]

PUPILS

Make the summer school two weeks rather than one, and residential (�the days weren�t long enough�)

Shorter lectures

More social time

More time on practical skills and practical work

More time in the actual hospital

Watch more operations (and more complicated ones)

More interview practice

More time learning about different medical equipment and what life as a doctor is like

More learning about medical specialties e.g. A&E, psychiatry, and paediatrics

Going to more departments within the hospital

Allow students to shadow doctors, for example on ward rounds

More time with the junior doctors as they are the ones close to us and really persuaded us into medicine

More time to prepare for the Grand Round presentations

Meet more patients

More details on university life

Various suggestions on type and quantity of food

MEDICAL STUDENTS

Clearer orientation for student buddies before the course begins

Don�t give individual performance prizes as many good pupils didn�t get one and they were disappointed

STAFF

Start the week in small groups instead of a lecture theatre

Various operational suggestions for getting guest tutors, patients and pupils in the right room at the right time

Many suggestions (and volunteers) of additional teaching staff for next year

Must follow up the pupils and continue to support them

SCHOOL TEACHERS

Make it an annual event

More outreach by course team to schools prior to the course

Follow up pupils

��

Table A Most important things that pupils felt they learnt [posted as supplied by author]

About the application process, qualifications needed and interview practice	What you need to get into medical school i.e. grades, good personal statement and interviews. How to improve my chances of entering medical school How to get the grades. How to do a good interview for medical school. I have learnt how to be successful at an interview.
About doctor-patient communication	I learnt medicine has another aspect, not only pure science, but also empathy and ability to communicate, which is absolutely vital for a doctor. How to put patients at ease when talking to them.
About different medical specialties	Difference between medicine and surgery. Found out more about the GP and how interesting it is. Career opportunities in medicine.
Clinical skills and information	Information about diabetes. Diagnostic techniques. Harvey [the programmable mannikin for learning heart examination] � he allowed me to hear how an aortic stenosis heart sounded like.
What medicine is like	How many people there are in the operating theatre and what each of their roles are. An idea of what surgery is like. What life is like being a doctor and medical student. About the hierarchy of doctors.
The different professions in the NHS and the value of teamwork	Group work as I believe it is the most important factor. You can be a consultant but you still can�t accomplish your job without the help of other professions.
The amount of work needed	How important it is that you work hard from the very beginning of A levels. How hard it is to become a doctor. I have learnt that doctors need to be keen and determined to succeed
Medicine is the right choice	I established I am SURE I want to do medicine, which is very important to me as I used to have the tiniest of doubts (no longer). It has made me 108% sure about doing medicine.