‘I’d have to fight for my life there’: a multicentre qualitative interview study of how socioeconomic background influences medical school choice

Figures & data

Table 1. Details of participants.

	Non-traditional (No traditional attributesa)	Less traditional (One traditional attributea)	More traditional (Two traditional attributesa)	Traditional (Three traditional attributesa)
Applicant	7	13	15	0
Recent entrant	3	9	17	2

a Traditional attributes defined as: i)attended fee-paying schools ii) parent(s) had higher education degrees, iii) From areas of high higher education participation and/or from affluent areas

Table 2. Themes identified listed in order of priority across all socioeconomic groups.

Theme	Definition	Sub themes	Socioeconomic group differences
Course style	Course/curricular style offered by a medical school.	Problem based learning Early clinical experience Cadaveric dissection Cohort size Extra degrees	Prioritised highly by all participant groups.
Proximity to home	How close a medical school was from participants’ home.	Minimising costs Family support University experience	Prioritised higher by non-traditional and less traditional participants.
Prestige	How prestigious a medical school was perceived to be.	Defining prestige Importance of prestige	Prioritised higher by traditional and more traditional participants
Medical school culture	Perceived culture and feel of a medical school.	Values Feel Satisfaction Support	Prioritised higher by non-traditional and less traditional participants.
Geographical area	The area in which a medical school was situated, including opportunities for extracurricular activities.	City Things to do Living expenses Familiarity Safety	Prioritised higher by traditional and more traditional participants
University resources	Campus and facilities of a medical school, including cost of accommodation.	Facilities Campus Accommodation	Lower priority for all participant groups
Fitting in	Whether participants felt they would fit in at a medical school.	Socially Class Ethnicity	Prioritised higher by non-traditional and less traditional participants.