Equity and Medical Education:

What are the sticking points in the application and admissions processes of undergraduate medical schools that affect entry of students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds into medicine?

This project takes a cross-institutional approach to understanding selection of students from low SES backgrounds into undergraduate medical programs. The proposed research leverages the unique opportunity afforded by including the only four medical schools in NSW with an undergraduate medical program to compare the effect of their difference selection processes. 

The research project will employ quantitative and qualitative methods to achieve three aims:

•  Provide descriptive information on the differences between the profiles of the low SES student cohort by examining the total applicant pool across the four universities,
•  Understand the pathway into medical school for students from low SES backgrounds; and
• Identify best practice career counselling and advice in secondary education.

This project was awarded $98,015 in HEPP NPP funding and is being led by Dr Robbert Duvivier along with a team of researchers including Dr Erica Southgate and Dr Caragh Brosnan from the University of Newcastle, Professor Wendy Hu and Associate Professor Barbara Griffin (also Macquarie University) from the University of Western Sydney, Associate Professor Boaz Shulruf from the University of New South Wales and Associate Professor Amanda Nagle from the University of New England.