Widening Participation in Medicine

Despite a widening participation agenda being adopted in Australian higher education policy and various institutional-based initiatives being implemented by universities, students from lower socio-economic backgrounds continue... [ view full abstract ]

Despite a widening participation agenda being adopted in Australian higher education policy and various institutional-based initiatives being implemented by universities, students from lower socio-economic backgrounds continue to be under-represented in high-status degrees such as medicine. A growing body of research has demonstrated that students from lower socio-economic backgrounds do not homogeneously lack aspiration, yet various studies have also reported a lower number of applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds applying to medical school in comparison with those from higher socio-economic backgrounds. Drawing on data from the first three years (2012 – 2014) of a mixed method longitudinal study of over 5900 students in Years 3 – 11 in New South Wales public schools, we investigate the kinds of students who aspire to study medicine within a current Australian context, when these aspirations take shape, and the reasons/justification students state for their interest in medicine. The findings provide robust evidence to inform equity policies and university recruitment strategies to increase the participation of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds in higher education, and medicine in particular.