Widening access to medical education for under-represented socioeconomic groups: population based cross sectional analysis of UK data, 2002-6.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether new programmes developed to widen access to medicine in the United Kingdom have produced more diverse student populations. DESIGN Population based cross sectional analysis. SETTING 31 UK universities that offer medical degrees. PARTICIPANTS 34,407 UK medical students admitted to university in 2002-6. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Age, sex, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity of students admitted to traditional courses and newer courses (graduate entry courses (GEC) and foundation) designed to widen access and increase diversity. RESULTS The demographics of students admitted to foundation courses were markedly different from traditional, graduate entry, and pre-medical courses. They were less likely to be white and to define their background as higher managerial and professional. Students on the graduate entry programme were older than students on traditional courses (25.5 v 19.2 years) and more likely to be white (odds ratio 3.74, 95% confidence interval 3.27 to 4.28; P