Value of a UK medical degree for international students (VISION): a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives: It is estimated that NHS staff consist of over 200 different nationalities, with a reported 30.7% of doctors holding a nationality other than British. Despite this, international medical students represent 7.5% of all medical students studying in the UK and pay on average, 4-6 times more in tuition fees when compared with the £9250 per annum (Great British Pounds (£) in 2021) paid by home students. This study's aim and objective are to evaluate the perception of the financial cost and value of the UK medical degree for international students and their motivations for pursuing such a degree.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study enquiring about international premedical, medical and medical school graduates' perception of the value of the UK medical degree and factors influencing their decision to study in the UK.A questionnaire was developed and distributed to 24 medical schools and 64 secondary schools both internationally and across the UK.

Results: A total of 352 responses from 56 nationalities were recorded. 96% of international students identified clinical and academic opportunities as the most important factors to study medicine in the UK, closely followed by quality of life (88%). The least important factor was family reasons, with 39% of individuals identifying this factor. Only 4.82% of graduates in our study considered leaving the UK after training. Overall, 54% of students felt the UK degree was value for money. This belief was significantly higher in premedical students compared with existing students and graduates (71% vs 52% and 20%, p<0.001 for all comparisons).

Conclusion: The quality of medical education and international prestige are attractive factors for international students to study medicine in the UK. However, further work is needed to ascertain reasons for the differing perceptions of the value by international students at different stages in their clinical training.

Keywords: international students; medical education; postgraduate training.

Figure 1

Shows five domains which premedical, medical and postgraduate students were asked to consider in relation to value of a UK medical degree. NHS stands for National Health Service. Percentages in the middle of the figure denote those who are neutral whilst the percentage on the left of the bar is a total of those who somewhat agree, agree and strongly agree and the percentage on the right of the bar is the total of those who somewhat disagree, disagree and strongly disagree.

Figure 2

Shows the proportion of responses of factors influencing students to study medicine in the UK, (A) overall responses, (B) premedical responses, (C) medical responses (D) postgraduate responses. Percentages in the middle of the figure denote those who neither agree nor disagree whilst the percentage on the left of the bar is a total of those who somewhat agree, agree and strongly agree and the percentage on the right of the bar is the total of those who somewhat disagree, disagree and strongly disagree.

Figure 3

Shows four domains in which postgraduate and existing medical students (276/352) were asked if they had adapted well to the UK and were well supported through the medical school, university students’ societies and other methods of support. Percentages in the middle of the figure denote those who are neutral while the percentage on the left of the bar is a total of those who somewhat agree, agree and strongly agree and the percentage on the right of the bar is the total of those who somewhat disagree, disagree and strongly disagree.