Laura Toftegaard Pedersen1, Nanna Hasle Bak, Birgit H Petersson. 1. Københavns Universitet, Institut for Folkesundhedsvidenskab, Afdeling for Almen Medicin, Enhed for Medicinsk Kvinde- og Kønsforskning, DK-1014 København K, Denmark.
Abstract
AIMS: To study the social recruitment of medical students at the University of Copenhagen in 2006 and 2007 and compare it to the social recruitment in 1992, the Danish population and other study programmes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Questionnaire survey of first-year medical students from year 2006-2007. The population comprised 446 students, of whom 71% were women. They were categorised according to parents' social class, parents' education and presence of doctors in the family. RESULTS: 81% of the students belonged to social class I and II, 41% of the students' parents had a higher education and 17% had at least one parent who was a trained physician. For the Danish population and for students at Psychology and the Humanities, the numbers were significantly lower. Fewer students were recruited from the higher social classes in 1992, but more students had parents with higher education. In 1992, the quota system had an equalizing effect on the distribution across social classes; this effect did not seem to be present in 2006-07. CONCLUSION: The distribution of medical students across social classes is less equal than in the rest of the Danish population and has remained close to unchanged in the period 1992 to 2007. Furthermore, the medical school recruits more students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds than other fields of study at the University of Copenhagen. There is a need for an increased focus on the social recruitment and an intensified effort to recruit a more differentiated segment of students, among others through an increase in quota 2 admission rates.
AIMS: To study the social recruitment of medical students at the University of Copenhagen in 2006 and 2007 and compare it to the social recruitment in 1992, the Danish population and other study programmes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Questionnaire survey of first-year medical students from year 2006-2007. The population comprised 446 students, of whom 71% were women. They were categorised according to parents' social class, parents' education and presence of doctors in the family. RESULTS: 81% of the students belonged to social class I and II, 41% of the students' parents had a higher education and 17% had at least one parent who was a trained physician. For the Danish population and for students at Psychology and the Humanities, the numbers were significantly lower. Fewer students were recruited from the higher social classes in 1992, but more students had parents with higher education. In 1992, the quota system had an equalizing effect on the distribution across social classes; this effect did not seem to be present in 2006-07. CONCLUSION: The distribution of medical students across social classes is less equal than in the rest of the Danish population and has remained close to unchanged in the period 1992 to 2007. Furthermore, the medical school recruits more students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds than other fields of study at the University of Copenhagen. There is a need for an increased focus on the social recruitment and an intensified effort to recruit a more differentiated segment of students, among others through an increase in quota 2 admission rates.