Do medical students with a disability experience adverse educational outcomes on UK medical courses?

Abstract

Background

International data demonstrate that medical students with disabilities experience differential awarding. One cross-sectional study finds lower graduation rates and scores in written exams, with no impact on clinical exams. Disabled students graduated with lower decile scores. This quantitative, retrospective, longitudinal study explored the impact of disability on exam performance, course performance and course discontinuation.

Method

Anonymised data were obtained for 1743 students on a UK graduate medical programme from 2011 to present. Statistical tests, including t-tests and one-way ANOVA were conducted for main effects of demographic variables on exam results and categorical outcomes. Regression models established the effects of variables and sub-categories of variables on results and categorical outcomes.

Results

Significant main effects of disability on exam scores were identified, as well as failure probability. Regressions showed significant differences in outcomes between different types of disability, with mental health conditions predicting course discontinuation. A significant amplifying effect was found for BAME students with disability.

Conclusion

Disability had a significant negative impact on all course outcomes, illustrating inequity in medical training and an area of focus for curriculum development. Intersectional data identified a key disadvantaged subgroup of medical students.

Keywords:

• Equality and diversity
• widening participation
• disability
• medical exams
• academic performance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Glossary

OSCE: Observed structure clinical examination.

Awarding gap: Difference in academic degree outcomes between student subgroups (here disability).

Reasonable adjustments: A change that must be made to remove or reduce a disadvantage.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kirsten Revell

Kirsten Revell, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. Graduate-entry medical student at Warwick Medical School. Previous qualifications include BSc Experimental Psychology, Higher Ed Cert Mental Health Nursing and MSc Clinical Neuropsychiatry. Chair of the student-staff liaison committee at WMS, and founder and chairperson of WMS Disability Network.

Helen Nolan

Helen Nolan, MB BCh BAO, MMedEd, SFHEA, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. Associate Professor, Head of Education Quality at Warwick Medical School.