About the Project
Lead Institute / Faculty: Faculty of Medicine
Main Supervisor: Dr Sally Curtis
Other members of the supervisory team: Prof Marcus Grace, Prof Jennifer Cleland, Dr Kathryn Woods-Townsend
Duration of the award: 3 years
Full time or part time: Full Time
Project description:
Since the 1970s, the UK medical student body has become increasingly diverse in terms of gender, ethnicity and age. That progress, however, has not yet been mirrored by a similar change in the socio-economic background of medical students across the UK. Yet some institutions have been more successful than others in attracting “non-traditional” applicants and achieving change. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no explorations of the broader impact an increase in students from underrepresented groups may have on the undergraduate educational experience itself.
This proposal is situated within the theoretical framework of transformative education1. Thus, we envisage the student to undertake a qualitative programme of work, using a case study approach to explore and compare the impact of widening participation in medicine across two contrasting institutions: Southampton and Aberdeen. The University of Southampton’s Medical School has delivered one of the UK’s longest standing and most reputable WA to medicine programmes and has received national recognition as an excellent example of an innovative widening access programme. The comparator institution will be the University of Aberdeen, which again has a long-standing commitment to widening participation to medicine within a very different geographical and social arena to that of Southampton. As is typical for case study research, multiple data collection methods will be used, including interview.
It is intended that the outcomes of this project will help move the national WA agenda forward by providing a greater understanding of the impact of widening access on higher education and the student experience.
The cross-faculty, cross-institutional supervisory team bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in Education, Medical Education and in WA, providing a unique and exciting opportunity for postgraduate research.
1. Milburn A, Shephard G, Attwood T, Carrie AM, Cleal P, Gregg P, Johnston D, Guy C, Hamilton D, Williams C. State of the Nation 2015: Social mobility and child poverty in Great Britain. Social Mobility & Child Poverty (SMCP) Commission; 2015.
2. Milburn A, Shephard G. State of the Nation 2016: Social Mobility in Great Britain. Social Mobility & Child Poverty (SMCP) Commission; 2016.
3. Mezirow, J. Contemporary Paradigms of Learning. Adult Education Quarterly, 1996,
46, 158–172
4. Embedding Widening Participation in Higher Education Universities UK report 2005,
5. Medical Schools; delivering the doctors of the future: Department of Health. London. 2004
6. Opening doors: Understanding and overcoming the barriers to university access. Russell
Group. 2015.
Please contact: Sally Curtis [Email Address Removed]
Person Specification: See below
https://jobs.soton.ac.uk/Upload/vacancies/files/15927/USE%20Doctoral%20Researcher%20Person%20Specification_UoS_FoM_PhD.docx
The successful candidate is likely to have the following qualifications:
• A 1stor 2:1 degree in a relevant discipline and/or second degree with a related Masters
Administrative contact and how to apply:
Please complete the University’s online application form, which you can find at
https://studentrecords.soton.ac.uk/BNNRPROD/bzsksrch.P_Login?pos=4352&majr=4352&term=201718
You should enter Sally Curtis as your proposed supervisor. To support your application provide an academic CV (including contact details of two referees), official academic transcripts and a personal statement (outlining your suitability for the studentship, what you hope to achieve from the PhD and your research experience to date).
Informal enquiries relating to the project or candidate suitability should be directed to Sally Curtis [Email Address Removed]
Closing date: 30th June 2017
Interview date: 17th July 2017
Funding Notes
This full studentship is funded by the Leonard Thomas Fund, The University of Southampton and Health Education England. This studentship includes UK/EU tuition fees, student stipend, plus additional financial support for student professional development and training. The Leonard Thomas Fund supports a variety of activities which positively support undergraduate students studying medicine through a variety of activities including postgraduate research.
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