Choice and ordering of medical school applications: cause for concern.

The probability of admission to medical school in the UK can be predicted from the choices of schools and their order on the UCCA form, even after academic factors have been taken into account. The effect may of itself influence a candidate's chance of admission by a factor of about four times. This situation justifies the recurrent complaints of applicants about the problems of medical school choice and ordering. The disadvantage imposed on many applicants would be reduced if rank ordering of choices was replaced by alphabetical ordering.