England gets more medical students

British Medical Journal, June 26, 1999 by Sian Knight

Altogether 684 extra places for medical students have been allocated to 13 English medical schools as part of the government's initiative to train 1000 more doctors each year. The first stage of the process was announced earlier this year, when 158 additional places were allocated pro rata to existing medical schools for the 1999 medical intake. This week the second stage took place as a joint implementation group, set up by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the Department of Health, published a list of universities which had been successful in their applications for increased medical student intake in 2000.

The decisions were based on aims to attract students from a broader range of social and ethnic backgrounds, widen opportunities for graduates from other disciplines, establish innovative collaboration between universities and the NHS, and meet regional needs. Collaboration between the University of Leicester's existing medical teaching and the University of Warwick to form a new medical school was one of the most successful proposals; their joint medical programme will receive 113 of the extra medical places.

Two other collaborations between established medical schools and less traditional universities have been approved. Other universities gaining extra places include the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, and three London medical schools. An innovative medical programmne proposed by the Open University has been unsuccessful. Weak points included the large start up costs and the estimated 240 students needed before the project became viable.

In the third stage of the process the joint implementation group will consider applications from new medical schools, including the proposed Peninsular Medical School-a joint venture between the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth.

Allocations for extra medical school places 2000-01 onwards

Institution                                          Allocation

University of Birmingham                                100
University of Cambridge                                  20
Imperial College                                         15
University of Leicester with University of Warwick      113
University of Liverpool                                  50
University of Manchester with University of Keele        80
University of Newcastle with University of Durham        89
University of Nottingham                                 40
University of Oxford                                     57
Queen Mary and Westfield College                         36
St George's Hospital Medical School                      35
University of Sheffield                                  20
University of Southampton                                29
Total                                                   684