Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), in partnership with the Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS), has been chosen to run one of five Medical Schools Council (MSC) Summer Schools next year. Funded by Health Education England, MSC Summer Schools are residential events for young people in England who are thinking about a career as a doctor, in particular those who are from areas where few students apply to study medicine. The summer schools will offer valuable experience for under-represented students wishing to make the first steps in becoming a doctor.
Students will they learn about what it takes to work as a doctor, from clinical and communications skills to the values that underpin the profession. Host medical schools will create their own programmes, drawing from teaching resources developed by key bodies in the sector, including the Royal Colleges.
Professor Malcolm Reed, Dean of BSMS, said: “Widening participation into medicine is a key focus of our recruitment work, and we are pleased to be able to work with KMMS in co-hosting these summer schools. They will help make a career in medicine feel like more of a realistic possibility to many young people who may have thought it was something out of their reach. This collaboration will emphasise and strengthen the growing partnership between KMMS and BSMS.”
Professor Chris Holland, Founding Dean of the KMMS, said: “We want to encourage aspiring doctors from all backgrounds to consider medicine as a career and are committed to widening access to medical degrees. The summer schools are such a great way to encourage year 11 and 12 students from underrepresented communities in Kent and Sussex that traditionally produce low numbers of doctors to consider careers in medicine.”
Dr Paul Garrud, Chair of the MSC Selection Alliance, said: “Congratulations to the medical schools who will be hosting events next year. It shows how keen the section is to pull together when it comes to widening access to the medical profession.”
Katie Adams, National Senior Programme Manager – Widening Participation at Health Education England, said: “Health Education England’s widening participation programme has championed a range of programmes including supporting students from under represented backgrounds into medicine for some years now with the aim to encourage social mobility and ensure our NHS is more representative of the diverse communities it serves.
“We are delighted to be able to continue this support by funding these summer schools across England as they will reach out to students who previously may have thought medicine was beyond them.”
Applications for MSC Summer Schools in 2020 are expected to begin in late 2019. Dates and further information will be published on the Medical Schools Council website and the BSMS and KMMS websites.