Birmingham Widening Access to Medical School

1
BWAMS

• Birmingham Widening Access to Medical School

2
Some Statistics

• In 2000 only 18 of students from the lower
  socio-economic groups (social classes III-V)
  attended higher education, in contrast to 48 of
  students from the higher socio-economic (social
  classes I-II) groups, a gap which has actually
  grown since the 1960s!
• Barriers include
• Decreased confidence
• Parental perceptions
• Little work experience

3
History of WAMS

• The first WAMS scheme was set up in Leeds in
  2001.
• This one involved establishing mentors for kids
  with low university entrance.
• Since then, schemes have been started in GKT,
  Manchester, Cardiff, Imperial, Nottingham,
  Bristol.

4
What do we want to do in Birmingham?

• Overall purpose is to create opportunities for
  individuals from lower socio-economic groups to
  achieve their potential by providing support,
  resources and training.
• We hope to set up a scheme that will
• Widen access for all potential healthcare
  students, not just medics.
• Set-up practical workshops in schools.
• The opportunity for individual advice via an
  E-Mentoring scheme.
• We also hope to have consistent follow-up for
  students e.g. help with UCAS statements.

5
Aims of the scheme

• Increase application rates to medicine, physio,
  nursing, Bmedsci, dentistry.
• Increase awareness of higher education generally.
• To provide GCSE/A Level students with good role
  models and helping them to build self-confidence
  and motivation.
• Provide mentoring/tutoring to aid applications
  and decisions.
• Careers advice in some schools may be limited and
  teachers might not know how to get people into
  courses like medicine. We aim to counteract this!

6
How are we going to do this?

• Small group workshops in schools, using themes
  like
• Acute trauma setting
• Ethical dilemma
• Practical medical sessions
• Interactive short informal talks led by mentors

7
Practical workshop ideas

• ER/casualty style drama themes
• Stethoscope sessions
• BP checks e.g. before and after a stressful
  stimulus
• Costumes could be worn e.g. surgical scrubs,
  white coats, nurses outfits etc.
• Nurses workshops hand washing techniques using
  UV lamps.
• Sticking of organs parts onto a human body tunic
• Showing the effects of smoking using a doll which
  shows the amount of tar inhaled in one cigarette.
  
• AND LOADS MORE.

8
How do we plan to do this?

• Good follow-up of interested students and working
  closely with the Birmingham University Widening
  Participation Office
• Summer schools
• Student tutoring
• Student mentoring
• E-Mentoring scheme
• Taster days in medical school
• Shadowing pre-clinical medical students
• GCSE/A Level Subject Support
• A to B (Access to Birmingham) scheme

9
What help do we have?!!

• We aim to work with the WP Unit at the University
  throughout the academic year.
• Prof Lote (Admissions Tutor) is our faculty
  contact.
• We have applied for grant from the Arthur
  Thompson Trust and the Medsoc committee.
• The Brightside Trust a charity set up by Astra
  Zeneca exclusively for widening access to
  medicine as well as other healthcare professions
• Have provided BWAMS with over 2000 to support us
• E-mentoring website provides contact between the
  school pupil and mentor via the internet.

10
What we need from you

• Attend a training session.
• Youll have to give up occasional time to help
  out with school visits and the schemes run by the
  WP unit. BUT, its all very flexible, you decide
  what you want to do!
• May need to undergo a police check before contact
  with school pupils, which will be organised soon.

11
What you will get out of it!

• Being part of a new and quite fashionable scheme.
• The satisfaction gained from helping school
  pupils from lower socio-economic groups and
  raising their career aspirations.
• It will look good on your CV!
• Youll be giving something back to the medical
  profession.
• Also we hope to have the odd social do

12
Please leave us your contact details on the
sheets at the front if you would are interested
in joining BWAMS.
Any questions please ask us!