An investigation into the contextual admissions information available at UK medical schools’ websites: what are the opportunities for enhancement?

Abstract

We audited the websites of all 57 undergraduate medicine course websites at UK universities for 2020 entry, looking in particular for the clarity of information regarding contextual admissions (CA). 49 programmes featured 47 distinct CA policies, using 26 different contextual markers, 8 programmes had no CA policy. Half (51%) of these courses with CA described clearly how they used CA, some allowed candidates to evaluate their own eligibility. However, the burden currently falls on individual applicants to understand the CA system at each medical school. Medical schools should present CA information clearly and accessibly so that applicants can make informed choices where to apply, having a one-stop for accessing all CA information across medical schools would also lessen the research burden on applicants. This could increase applications from a more diverse range of applicants. Other degree courses might use this study as a springboard to reflect on their CA policies.