Current society is increasingly diverse. Globalization and high mobility of individuals are among many factors creating diversity within countries, and so socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds of patients are also increasingly more diverse. Given a diverse society, the healthcare system needs to be inclusive. Studies have shown that a more inclusive doctor population is able to provide more inclusive healthcare services. Therefore it is important to create a diverse doctor population, and one way to achieve this is to widen participation and access to medicine as a career. The selection process needs to be more inclusive, to be able to attract and admit students from various ethnicity, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds.
Studies have demonstrated that medicine is highly competitive, and in some parts of the world it is still considered to be an exclusive community. Usually individuals from underprivileged backgrounds tend to be discouraged, even just to apply to study medicine. The goal of this Research Topic is to provide the breadth and depth of existing research or studies related to widening participation and access to medicine as a career. It is important to first understand what studies that have been conducted on widening access, especially in various contexts and settings. We aim to collate studies which have tried to widen access to medicine through any appropriate and relevant measures, such as the use of more inclusive selection methods to admit students. Studies related to how diversity, equity and inclusion are encouraged and supported are also important, in order to present findings on how ready medicine is to be an inclusive profession. We are interested in examining different viewpoints from various professionals roles, such as healthcare professionals, workforce agencies, medical educators, administrators, etc.
This Research Topic welcomes all types of manuscript, from review to empirical studies - more information about the different article types can be found here.
We aim to obtain studies from different contexts, settings, and countries globally, given the various socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds which will influence how widening participation or access to medicine as a career is attempted. The specific themes under this Research Topic revolve around selection or admission into medical school, be it undergraduate or postgraduate, and affirmative action by medical schools to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, from transitioning to and entering medical school and throughout studying medicine. How technology and tools can help level the playing field for everyone to compete for a seat in medicine is another topic of interest. We also welcome studies which investigate the importance of diversity within healthcare professionals and any measures taken to improve it, including the enablers and inhibitors.
Topic Editor Julie Willems is Director of UCAT ANZ, and a researcher with the ‘Fire to Flourish’ Project which has received industry funding. All other Topic Editors declare no potential conflicts of interest.
Keywords:
Selection, admission, inclusion, diversity, equity, medical education
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Current society is increasingly diverse. Globalization and high mobility of individuals are among many factors creating diversity within countries, and so socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds of patients are also increasingly more diverse. Given a diverse society, the healthcare system needs to be inclusive. Studies have shown that a more inclusive doctor population is able to provide more inclusive healthcare services. Therefore it is important to create a diverse doctor population, and one way to achieve this is to widen participation and access to medicine as a career. The selection process needs to be more inclusive, to be able to attract and admit students from various ethnicity, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds.
Studies have demonstrated that medicine is highly competitive, and in some parts of the world it is still considered to be an exclusive community. Usually individuals from underprivileged backgrounds tend to be discouraged, even just to apply to study medicine. The goal of this Research Topic is to provide the breadth and depth of existing research or studies related to widening participation and access to medicine as a career. It is important to first understand what studies that have been conducted on widening access, especially in various contexts and settings. We aim to collate studies which have tried to widen access to medicine through any appropriate and relevant measures, such as the use of more inclusive selection methods to admit students. Studies related to how diversity, equity and inclusion are encouraged and supported are also important, in order to present findings on how ready medicine is to be an inclusive profession. We are interested in examining different viewpoints from various professionals roles, such as healthcare professionals, workforce agencies, medical educators, administrators, etc.
This Research Topic welcomes all types of manuscript, from review to empirical studies - more information about the different article types can be found
here.
We aim to obtain studies from different contexts, settings, and countries globally, given the various socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds which will influence how widening participation or access to medicine as a career is attempted. The specific themes under this Research Topic revolve around selection or admission into medical school, be it undergraduate or postgraduate, and affirmative action by medical schools to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, from transitioning to and entering medical school and throughout studying medicine. How technology and tools can help level the playing field for everyone to compete for a seat in medicine is another topic of interest. We also welcome studies which investigate the importance of diversity within healthcare professionals and any measures taken to improve it, including the enablers and inhibitors.
Topic Editor Julie Willems is Director of UCAT ANZ, and a researcher with the ‘Fire to Flourish’ Project which has received industry funding. All other Topic Editors declare no potential conflicts of interest.
Keywords:
Selection, admission, inclusion, diversity, equity, medical education
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.