Can students with BCC rather than AAA at A level succeed at medical school The evidence from Kings C

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Can students with BCC rather than AAA at A level
succeed at medical school? The evidence from
Kings College London

• Dr Pamela Garlick EMDP Directorpamela.garlick_at_k
  cl.ac.uk

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The Extended Medical Degree Programme at Kings
College London (EMDP)

• It is a six-year medical degree, integrated with
  our 5-year programme
• Totally equivalent to our five-year programme
  same exams, same pass mark, no concessions
• It started in 2001, with 10 extra HEFCE places
• Number of places increased by 10 a year until
  2005 now constant at 50 per year
• Currently there are 306 EMDP students studying at
  Kings

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Key questions

• How do we select the students?
• How do the EMDP students differ from conventional
  medical students?
• How does the Extended Programme differ from the
  conventional one?
• How are the students progressing?

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How do we select the EMDP students?
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Geographic eligibility

• Applicants must have attended non-selective state
  schools or colleges in eligible boroughs
• Originally, there were 5 eligible boroughs,
  then 10, then 15
• From 2009-10, all the London boroughs, Kent and
  Medway are eligible areas
• There are currently about 350 eligible schools

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Academic eligibility

• Applicants must have GCSEs in Science, Maths and
  English
• They must also have 3 A2s (or equivalent)
  including Chemistry and one other science subject
  at A2 level
• Standard offer BCC

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Schools attended by EMDP students

• The worst school is 51 below the national
  average
• The average school score is 15 below the
  national average
• (a typical independent school is 50 above the
  national average)

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EMDP - Admissions Process

• UCAS form
• UKCAT
• PQA test (MAT score)
• Extended, semi-structured interview
• From 2009-10, MMI

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How do the EMDP students differ from conventional
medical students?
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Socio-economic groups of Kings medical students
2002 2008
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Socio-economic groups of EMDP vs. UK medical
students 2008
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Ethnic origin of Kings medical students 2002
2008
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Ethnic origin of EMDP vs. UK medical students
2008
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• How does the Extended Programme differ from the
  conventional one?

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EMDP Structure

• Induction phase
• Pre-clinical phase
• Clinical phase exactly the same as
  conventional course

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EMDP - Pre-clinical phase

• Takes three years (50, 70, 80)
• Lectures and tutorials with conventional
  students
• Extra EMDP-specific sessions

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Additional EMDP support during pre-clinical phase

• Academic literacy, chemistry, numeracy
• Financial bursaries, key text-books, prizes,
  stethoscopes
• Pastoral EMDP adviser, DT room, Celebration of
  Success

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How are the EMDP students progressing?
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Social Progress

• SMEC presidency
• ACS presidency
• Standing for KCLSU positions
• Captaincy of 1st XI

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Academic Progress (i)

• 351 EMDP students to date
• Students from the first 3 cohorts have now
  graduated
• The overall retention rate is 86

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Academic progress (ii)

• Each year, about 10 of EMDP students come in the
  top 15 of the whole year group, and receive
  merit awards
• 40 of EMDP students are doing intercalated BSc
  degrees and 83 of them have been awarded First
  Class or Upper Second degrees
• The average A levels of those awarded Firsts was
  CCC

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Academic progress (iii)

• Two of the four clinical prizes for Year 3 in
  2008-9 have been awarded to EMDP students (420
  students in total)
• But the EMDP results are not normally
  distributed they are bi-modal

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Evolution of the EMDP

• The first year was originally summative then
  formative now summative again
• Banding of A level offers in line with school
  scores
• Induction week content
• Writing Discourse
• Critical reading and thinking

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Conclusions (i)

• Students can succeed at medical school with BCC
  at A level but only if these grades were
  achieved at poorly performing schools
• WP students, on average, require extra pastoral
  support
• WP students require help with deeper learning
  methods

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Conclusions (ii)

• Given a supportive environment WP students
  can become excellent medical students and
  impressive doctors