Four year medical degrees reduce diversity of medical students and care for disadvantaged groups

I agree with Finn and colleagues that the four year undergraduate medical degree will only hinder accessibility for those from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.1 A shorter degree would result in more intense hours of study, preventing students from working part time jobs to cover living expenses. To further compound matters, university terms would be longer, meaning the average student would require around £582 extra a month.2Despite the development of “gateway courses,” which were specifically designed to widen participation and help students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds gain entry to medicine, only 14% of applicants are from the most deprived areas of the UK.3 A four year medical degree would only accentuate the under-representation of these groups.The NHS has a duty to ensure all members of society have an equal opportunity to access care. This is achieved most effectively when the diversity of the NHS workforce reflects the general population. A four year…
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