Contextual admissions in widening participation

Curtis, Sally, Owen, Clare and Rees, Eliot L. (2024) Contextual admissions in widening participation. In, Alldridge, Louise (ed.) Pedagogies of Widening Participation in Medical Settings. Routledge. (doi:10.4324/9781003399858-12).

Abstract

Widening participation to medicine through contextual admissions has increased substantially over the last 20 years. The term ‘Contextual admissions’ is used to describe a wide range of initiatives to support the selection and admission of students from widening participation backgrounds to Higher Education. Many medical schools have specific six-year Gateway courses or individual Gateway years, others have adapted direct routes to their standard entry courses. This chapter looks more closely at how robust these processes are, including the indicators available and how these are applied in the contextual admissions processes across our medical schools. Broader reflections on the longer-term implications of contextual admissions for the individual and for the institution are also discussed. The familial, social, and financial aspects of a WP student’s background continue when they enter medical school and many students from WP backgrounds navigate their way through medical school and university life alongside additional responsibilities for themselves and their families. Attracting and recruiting students from low socio-economic backgrounds to higher education, and specifically medicine, comes with an institutional responsibility to ensure, wherever possible, they are not exposed to further disadvantage during their time at university.

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Contributors

Author: Sally Curtis

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