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Comparative Study
. 2018 Nov 6;18(1):250.
doi: 10.1186/s12909-018-1355-3.

Impact of accelerated, graduate-entry medicine courses: a comparison of profile, success, and specialty destination between graduate entrants to accelerated or standard medicine courses in UK

Paul Garrud  1 , I C McManus  2
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Impact of accelerated, graduate-entry medicine courses: a comparison of profile, success, and specialty destination between graduate entrants to accelerated or standard medicine courses in UK

Paul Garrud et al. BMC Med Educ. .

Abstract

Background: Little research has compared the profile, success, or specialty destinations of graduates entering UK medical schools via accelerated, 4-yr, standard 5-yr and 6-yr programmes. Four research questions directed this investigation:- What are the success rates for graduates entering graduate-entry vs. undergraduate medicine courses? How does the sociodemographic and educational profile differ between these two groups? Is success - in medical school and foundation training - dependent on prior degree, demographic factors, or aptitude test performance at selection? What specialty do graduate entry medicine students subsequently enter?

Methods: The data from two cohorts of graduates entering medical school in 2007 and 2008 (n = 2761) in the UKMED (UK Medical Education Database) database were studied: 1445 taking 4-yr and 1150 taking 5-yr medicine courses, with smaller numbers following other programmes.

Results: Completion rates for degree programmes were high at 95%, with no significant difference between programme types. 4-yr entrants were older, less likely to be from Asian communities, had lower HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) tariff scores, but higher UKCAT (UK Clinical Aptitude Test) and GAMSAT (Graduate Medical School Admissions Test) scores, than 5-yr entrants. Higher GAMSAT scores, black or minority ethnicity (BME), and younger age were independent predictors of successful completion of medical school. Foundation Programme (FPAS) selection measures (EPM - educational performance measure; SJT - situational judgment test) were positively associated with female sex, but negatively with black or minority ethnicity. Higher aptitude test scores were associated with EPM and SJT, GAMSAT with EPM, UKCAT with SJT. Prior degree subject, class of degree, HESA tariff, and type of medicine programme were not related to success.

Conclusions: The type of medicine programme has little effect on graduate entrant completion, or EPM or SJT scores, despite differences in student profile. Aptitude test score has some predictive validity, as do sex, age and BME, but not prior degree subject or class. Further research is needed to disentangle the influences of BME.

Keywords: 4 year vs 5 year courses; ARCP; Completion; Demographics; GAMSAT; Graduate entrants; Outcome measures; Speciality choice; UKCAT; UKMED; Undergraduate medical courses; Validity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Queen Mary Research Ethics Committee, University of London, agreed on 11 November 2015 that there was no need for ethical review of UK Medical Education Database research studies.

Consent for publication

Not applicable

Competing interests

The authors declare they have no competing financial interests. PG chairs the UK GAMSAT Users Group and is a member of the UKMED research sub-group. ICM is a member of the UKMED advisory group and research sub-group.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Ibry chart showing the data present in UKMED Phase 1. For details see text
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Probability of successful completion against GAMSAT mean score plotted for a student with an average UKCAT score
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Normalised Educational Performance Measure against GAMSAT mean score for a student with 2i degree and average UKCAT score
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
FPAS Situational Judgment Test normalised (z) score against UKCAT total score for a student with 2i degree and average GAMSAT score
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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