Students from working class backgrounds still only make up 5% of participants in UK medical schools. This is the rate that has doubled over the past decade, the analysis finds.
The survey, conducted by Sutton Trust and University London (UCL), considered approximately 94,000 applicants to UK medical schools between 2012 and 2022.
The analysis shows that since 2012 the percentage of medical students with the lowest socioeconomic background has doubled, but only 5% participated in 2021.
In comparison, 75% of medical school enrollments came from a higher socioeconomic background. Socioeconomic status was calculated using the 5-level National Statistical Socioeconomic Classification (NS-SEC) group of parent occupations.
Applicants for independent schools across the UK were 1.5 times more likely to receive medical school offers compared to students in non-selective state schools, and socioeconomic status and other demographic factors were more likely to receive independent school applications, even after statistically adjusting for exam performance.
The data also showed that a relatively small number of schools and universities produce a disproportionately large number of medical students. 80% of the 2,719 schools or universities offering medical applicants were less than five per year. In comparison, there were 58 schools or universities, 2% of all institutions, and an average of over 20 applicants per year.
Sutton Trust CEO Nick Harrison said the numbers are outrageous, especially when the NHS faces “a chronic shortage of doctors and a dependency on overseas recruitment.”
He added: “The healthcare professionals are growing at breakpoints, and urgent action is needed to expand access and create a more diverse pipeline of talent from all parts of society. Patients benefit from physicians who reflect the diversity of the communities they serve, but it is clear that we are a long way from today.
“If they are capable, their ability to grow, or their parents' income, should not be a barrier to becoming a doctor. The entry of the working class into medicine is a critical condition. The occupation urgently needs a shot of equality.”
Professor Katherine Wolf, professor of medical education and research at UCL School of Medicine, said: Despite the many changes that medical schools have made over the past decade to improve access to occupations, our research shows that lower advancement is a major barrier for many aspiring physicians from the poorest backgrounds.
“To provide enough physicians to meet the needs of the country, we need better support for future physicians, especially those with disadvantaged backgrounds. This support is necessary at every stage of the physician's career. It is essential to practice as a physician through years of medical education and training from school, during applications to medical school.”
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A government spokesperson said: “We have inherited an education system with many burnt inequality, but ambitious plans for change set a clear mission to break the connection between background and success.
“We will act to address the enduring gaps in various student groups and to break barriers to opportunity.
“This government is committed to cultivating our own country's talents and training thousands more doctors. We work with partners such as the NHS England and the University Department to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to study medicine, regardless of their background.”
