What makes Widening Participation Students successful? Louis Ttofa-Roberts MMedEd Final Year Medical Student Dr Richard Price Dissertation Supervisor

Contents Introduction and Background Methodology Results and Findings Strengths and Limitations Discussion and Implications References Questions

Introduction and Background Widening Participation as a personal interest Widening Participation as a national interest Proportionally fewer students from WP backgrounds entering medical school WP experience of applying to medical school explored, but none of the medical school experience Concerning the students which WP programmes aim to serve

Methodology Four final year medical students Newcastle University Entered through a WP Programme Semi-structured interviews Hermeneutic phenomenology (interpretivism) Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Findings based around three main themes

Table of Findings Making sense of their background Theme Subtheme Codes Making sense of their background Experience of upbringing and surroundings Family job type Connections to medicine Friends and aspirations Extracurricular activities Feelings and attitudes- self and family View of own background Family and motivation Family values towards education Wanting to make proud Navigating the processes Experience at school School type School attainment Working harder than others Bullying Working independently Experience during application process School's knowledge about process Careers help and guidance Own knowledge of application process Work experience/ voluntary work Experience of PARTNERS/GATEWAY Feelings and attitudes- school and application process Being different at school School encouragement of grades Predicted grades School motivation and encouragement Back-up plan Impressions of competition Prior impressions of University Approach to application process Work experience Feelings during PARTNERS/Gateway WP and opportunities ‘Finding their feet’ Experience at medical school Experience of starting University Living at home/away Experience of exams Experience of starting clinical work WP and financial situation WP and unexpected challenges Feelings and attitudes at medical school Feelings of starting medical school Perceptions of others' backgrounds Accent and identity Learning styles Attitude to working hard Background and self-efficacy Imposter syndrome Feelings about starting clinical Patient interactions WP and identity WP and self-efficacy Background and understanding Helping other WP students WP and social mobility

Making sense of their background Comparing themselves to other students Extracurricular interests Medicine as a ‘normal biography’ Bourdieu’s ‘Habitus’

Navigating the Processes Approach to the application process Help from school and other sources Opportunities Relating to others Family Peers Other applicants

Finding their feet Expectations vs reality Approach to academic work Approach to clinical work Relationships with peers Relationships with patients WP students as future doctors

Strengths and Limitations Rigorous approach Methodologically sound Small sample size One cohort at one medical school Lack of triangulation

Discussion and implications Implications for WP programmes Implications for careers advisors Implications for WP students Continued support throughout the programme? For how long is one a ‘WP student?’

Potential scope for further research Wider scale study of this nature Why do some people not get into medical school? Why do WP students feel like imposters?

Questions?