Sir Peter Lampl: High price to pay for medical schools

Sir, The Sutton Trust welcomes the Medical Schools Council’s recognition that more must be done to improve access to a career in medicine for students from low and middle-income backgrounds. This year we launched a pilot programme with Imperial College London that will take practical steps to increase the numbers of students from low and middle-income families applying to study medicine. It will reach 180 students over three years, offering them the support and information they need to compete with those from affluent backgrounds. The Pathways to Medicine programme includes help with interviews and applications, work experience and a one-week summer school where students get the chance to take part in hands-on experiments and medical seminars.

We hope this kind of practical support for low and middle-income students, together with a contextual approach to admissions, will radically alter the composition of our medical schools, making the profession accessible to all based on merit rather than money.

Read the letter on The Times website here (£)